


The Bandit and The Barmaid

by NotTilItsFinished (Pyrate0804)



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: 1880s, Alternate Universe - No Curse, Cunnilingus, Dream Sex, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff, GNC Nicole Haught, Gender Dysphoria, Gender Issues, Identity Issues, Minor Character Death(s), Minor Violence, Scissoring, Sleepy Sex, Smut, Strap-Ons, Vaginal Fingering, Wild West AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-19 03:23:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 79,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14228088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyrate0804/pseuds/NotTilItsFinished
Summary: The one where Nicole always felt like something was wrong, something was missing. The one where she became a wanted outlaw, because it seemed like the only option at the time. The one where she made mistakes and then tried to make them right. The one where she ran and ran and ran from all the things she had done; across open country and close-knit trails, across rivers and around ravines, she ran… that is until she met one Waverly Earp.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Live From ClexaCon It's Thursday Night!
> 
> Yes... I am camped out in my hotel room in Las Vegas right now... annoying the shit out of my sleepy wife... so that I can post this.
> 
> This one is five chapters, so there'll be a new one every night while I'm here. 
> 
> So... this story very much took over my life for the last four months or so. When I started it I wasn't really sure where it was going, only that it was going. It's been read and re-read and written and re-written and I think I've got it just about right.
> 
> A lot of the feelings in this fic are things I've felt myself at one time or another, and some that I still feel today and just don't know what to do with. On that note, I didn't write this to make any sort of social commentary and I hope no one will see it as such. I also hope you'll remember that when making comments. This story is personal to me, almost to the point where I thought about not posting it, but in the end I decided that even if only one person reads this and realizes their not alone, then mission accomplished...

Dawn was her favorite time of day. It was a beginning, after what seemed like an end; a literal light in the dark. She loved to just sit and watch the day begin, watch the sun breathe life into the world again. She didn’t always enjoy the sunrise though, sometimes it wasn’t a blessed event where everything was light and happy, like when she was on the run. Running from what was different every time, but that didn’t change the fact that she ran because she had nowhere else to go.

 

She had always thought that a life on her own, out in the wilds, would be an adventure. That’s how the stories made it sound; like the extravagant, elaborate stories her Nanny used to tell her about Joan of Arc, and Ann Bonny and Mary Read, and Frances Clayton. The way her Nanny told it, these women took it upon themselves to try to change the world; either by conquering it by waging war in some far-off country or by taking its riches and spoils for herself at the tip of a sword or by stepping up to defend her country and her home. They had to change themselves in the process, but it seemed they weren’t worse for the wear because of it. Actually, it was as if they were so successful in their endeavors because they were women, simply dressed as men. Something about that had always appealed to her, the ability to be someone else, to be a boy instead of a girl, but she had never really been able to nail down why. Eventually though, her fascination with her Nanny’s stories had drawn her father’s attention and after that she didn’t have a Nanny anymore.

 

That was the first time she thought about running, thought about escaping whatever life her father had planned for her, but she had been scared, unsure she would be able to survive on her own. It was several years before she realized that, sooner or later, life has a way making decisions for you.

 

~~~

 

The first time she did run, it was from her own burning home, where she had just watched her father try to fight off a group of looters with nothing but a double barrel shotgun. She had hidden in the shed as they ransacked the house. When they emerged, she’d thought for sure that they would just leave, but when the front of the house went up in flames, she had no choice but to run. She only stopped to look back once, taking in the significance of her home burning. She knew instantly there would be nothing left when the blaze finally died away. She tried hard to remember all the good things, hoping to re-commit them to memory, because for better or worse, that part of her life was over. She thought about her father tucking her in at night as a child. She thought about her days of avoiding her chores, just to spend the day in the sun and fresh air. For the first time in a long time, she thought about her Nanny, a woman who was not her mother, but who had been the next best thing, at least until her father had sent the woman away. She blinked back tears as she turned from the house, vowing to never forget either of the two people who had made her who she was.

 

She made it as far as the next town over and after only a day in town, managed to land a job as a barmaid that also offered housing. It sounded like just the thing for her, but when she realized that she was going to be expected to both serve and _service_ the customers, she had left there without a second thought. It was then she realized that, as a woman, she would probably never be more than a whore or if she was lucky, a wife, and that just didn’t sit right with her. She had never wanted to be a wife, and especially not a whore. Of course, her father had pressured her into accepting gentlemen callers from time to time as she had gotten older, but the more times she’d had to hold a man’s arm as she crossed the street, or reluctantly accept a chaste kiss on the cheek, the more she cringed each time it happened.

 

It was only a few days later, when she was thinking about her Nanny again, and the stories the woman used to tell, that she suddenly understood what she’d been trying to figure out for as long as she could remember. While, yes, she had never wanted to be a wife, it went deeper than that. She realized she didn’t want to be a woman at all. She had never felt like things were as they should be, that maybe there was something wrong with her, but her sudden realization brought a sense of relief she had never experienced before. She resolved to revel in the relief and decided it was time for a change. On her way out of town, she stole a bunch of men’s clothes off a laundry line and headed off into the unknown again.

 

That night, Nicole Elizabeth Haught, the blushing 19-year old girl with no home and a mostly dismal outlook on the future, had changed her clothes and had hacked off all her hair and became one Cole E. Haught, a rough and tumble cowboy with more than a little something to prove.

 

~~~

 

Truly, the change in her appearance had the most effective of benefits, and not just in the way she felt about herself. When she’d gotten into the next town, the people she met had instantly treated her differently, just because of the way she was dressed. She had asked around about work and after only a couple of days of looking, took a job as a cow-hand on a farm. It was a short-term arrangement; she’d only be employed for the birthing season to watch the herd overnight. It had paid alright, and her employer even let her sleep in the one of their sheds for free. Even though the job was supposed to be for only six weeks, Cole couldn’t help but feel proud of herself for landing the job to begin with. For the first time in her whole life, Cole had finally started to feel like herself, her true self.

 

Eventually, one town had led to another, and one job to another. Most of the time, it had been temporary work, but the couple of times she had actually tried to put down any roots, things just didn’t go her way. Of course, that meant she had had to run a few times, like the time she’d settled in for a while working as a farrier’s hand at the town livery in a sleepy, little town in East Kansas. She had even managed to make a friend, Shannon, or Shae for short, who at first, Cole had thought was just a friend, that was until the day Shae had kissed her. Cole knew she should have stopped her friend, should have explained, about herself, about her situation, but kissing Shae had felt so natural that Cole couldn’t help herself. It was so different from any intimacy she had ever experienced with any of the men her father had pushed on her. Shae’s lips were soft, and her face was smooth, and it didn’t take much for Cole to imagine what it would be like to kiss more than just Shae’s lips.

 

A couple of weeks later, after Cole had finally worked up the courage to tell Shae the truth, everything went horribly wrong. Shae had been understanding and even a little intrigued, and after much discussion, they had finally decided they were both interested in more. That night, Shae’s father caught them in the hayloft, definitely doing more than just kissing. There was screaming and fighting and death threats, and honestly, Cole had been lucky to make it out of that barn alive. Shae’s father hadn’t let it go either, because late that night, as Cole was packing her things, he and some other folks from town had shown up at the house where she’d been renting a room and had literally chased her right out of town. She’d spent many, many nights since then lying awake, wondering what it might have been like to actually court and marry Shannon, or any woman for that matter. It seemed like a farfetched idea, but that didn’t stop Cole from dreaming about it anyway.

 

~~~

 

Her most recent mistake had been her biggest by far though, because Cole had fallen in with the wrong crowd in Dodge City and ended up stealing a horse trying to make a hasty get away after a botched highwayman job. She was still running from that in fact. She feared she would never stop running from that night.

 

It had gone downhill the second the stagecoach driver had drawn out this honking, hand cannon; it looked like a shortened, over-under double barrel shotgun. She had figured the shorter barrel would be terrible for accuracy, but when the driver pulled the trigger, it tore a hole through Todd the size of her fist, while she was standing right next to him. Well, she hadn’t hesitated to hop into the nearest empty saddle and get the hell out of Dodge, so to speak.

 

The sunrise after that hadn’t been pleasant. She had ridden all night, driving the stolen horse to near exhaustion before they had finally stopped. In the early light of morning, she had finally gotten a good look at herself and realized she was absolutely covered in Todd’s blood. As she scrubbed her clothes clean in a shallow creek she’d come across, she realized she couldn’t ever go back to Dodge City. Not only had she stolen the horse, but she had skipped out on Lou Rand and his gang too, and they would not be happy with her, if they ever saw her again that is. She would just keep going west, because truly the further she could get away from the image of Todd’s insides suddenly being his outsides the better off she thought she would be.

 

Stealing the horse really turned out to be one of the best terrible decisions Cole had ever made. She named the animal Jane, and she was a gentle thing, but could be damned fast when she wanted to be. She was steady in the face of rushing water, or rocky terrain and even, hissing snakes, and within the first few days of being together, Cole managed to get Jane to respond to her most subtle signals, making Jane almost effortless to ride. As far as making the best of bad situation goes, it also hadn’t hurt that one of the saddle bags on Jane’s back had been packed almost full of rations. Salted pork, hard rolls, a bag of dried beans, and maybe most importantly, a bag of coffee, were all stuffed down in one side. The other bag held a smaller pouch with a few coins inside. It wasn’t much money, but Cole wasn’t going to complain. There were other supplies in that side she would need for roughing it as well; a small cooking pot, a flint and steel, a full water-skin, and a tin cup that Cole thought was wide enough to double as a bowl. Possibly the best part though, was the bedroll and canvas tarp rolled up and tied across the back of the saddle. It acted as a cushion of sorts against the back of the saddle when she was riding, as well as giving her a place to sleep at night. She figured this must have been the coach’s guard’s horse, but seeming as he was a very good possibility he was dead, Cole figured he wouldn’t be needing it anymore.

 

She rode west through each day, camping along the Arkansas River each night. She stuck close to north side of the river, not just for the fresh water, but because she knew eventually her stolen rations would run out and she would be forced to cross, as all the towns in this area were on the south side of the river. The Arkansas wasn’t a wide, but the late spring rains had made it hard to tell how deep it might be, and no matter how steady Jane was in the water, Cole knew she would need to find a ferry to cross. She had seen a few maps of the area west of Dodge and figured she had to be coming up on the crossing where Sandy Creek branched off of the Arkansas to the north.

 

When she finally did arrive at the ferry she wasn’t surprised to find a fairly rickety flat boat that operated on a rope and pulley system. She was utterly thankful for the few coins she had found in the saddle bags then, having enough for the ferry with even a little leftover. The crossing didn’t take terribly long and before she knew it she was riding up on the town of Blackwell, Colorado. It wasn’t a large town, but the farms in the surrounding area where always looking for cowboys and farmhands for short term work and having a horse of her own helped her land a little honest work on a farm just south of town. She stuck around Blackwell through the summer cattle drives and then through the fall harvest, but when the work dried up, she decided it was time to move on. She thought maybe she could find somewhere in Pueblo to shack up for the winter, hoping to find work as a bartender, or farrier, or something, _anything_. She had decided to try to keep looking for honest work, but she suspected that she’d be hard pressed to find any in winter, even in a place as big as Pueblo. It wouldn’t be difficult to figure out who was who in town though, and Cole figured dishonest work would do when she started to feel a powerful need to eat.

 

She followed the Arkansas again, west out of Blackwell, knowing she would probably have at least two weeks on the trail before she came to Pueblo. Being on the south side of the Arkansas this time though, meant that instead of sleeping on the cold ground every night, she would be able to spend at least a few nights of the trip in an inn or saloon along the way. In fact, on the second night into her travels, she found herself seated at a poker table in Prowers, Colorado, grinning like a fool into her whiskey glass, as she cleaned out two of her competitors. She had decided to stay in town that night, too drunk to even think about taking her winnings and leaving. The saloon owner had offered her lodging and entertainment, and after quite the internal debate, Cole refused the entertainment, even though she wished for nothing more than a warm body in her bed. Part of her reasoned that, she would only be staying in town for the night, but the last thing she wanted was a repeat of what happened with Shannon. The owner had given her a funny look when he explained it was included in the price of the room, and she still declined, but she brushed it off, dragging her feet as she made her way to the rooms upstairs. The rest of the night passed without incident, and in the morning, she collected Jane from the town stable and rode west once again.

 

~~~

 

Almost a week in, Cole rambled into the seemingly quiet town of Purgatory, Colorado. The name seemed intimidating, but she figured she was a little shy of the halfway point between Blackwell and Pueblo, and that Purgatory was just as good a place as any to shack up for a few days. When she got down off Jane’s back at the stable, Cole knew she needed a break. Working the harvest season in Blackwell meant it had been a while since she’d spent much time in the saddle and after several long days of riding in a row, she could tell she was walking more than a little bowlegged. She made her way down the darkening street to the only place that was open, Shorty’s, seemingly Purgatory’s only saloon. When she got inside it seemed like a quiet little place, only a couple of folks drinking and playing cards, and not even for money. She sidled up to the bar, asking for a room. She paid the older man behind the bar for a few nights up front and was surprised at how relieved she felt when he didn’t ask if she needed any entertainment for the evening. The walk up the stairs to her room seemed to do her in anyway, because Cole barely made it to the bed before she collapsed, exhausted.

 

Feeling almost refreshed from the night’s sleep, Cole got up and dressed in her spare set of clothes. She took extra care with her chest binding, checking and double checking that it was tight and secured, not wanting anything to shift or slip during the day. Especially because she was actually going to have to interact with some of the good people of Purgatory. The binding wasn’t much more than an extra wide strip of muslin that was long enough to wrap around her body a few times, but it did the job, keeping _things_ from just swinging in the wind as she walked. She wrapped it as tightly as possible around herself before tucking the tail through a couple of the wraps to secure it. It certainly wasn’t comfortable, squeezing her ribs and rubbing awkwardly against her skin all day, but it was better than going without. Sometimes, she hated wearing it, well, pretty much all the time, but sometimes she found herself hating the need for it, more than the actual feeling of wearing it. Cole was just beginning to accept things for the way they were, but that didn’t stop her from wishing to be a real man, that her body had gotten the message long ago, like in the womb.

 

Trying to dwell on the things she couldn’t change, Cole finished dressing quickly. Her first instinct was to find somewhere to wash her other set of clothes. She wasn’t sure her old blue jeans wouldn’t stand up on their own from all the dirt caked in the fabric. Being on the trail didn’t exactly lend itself to being or staying clean. She went downstairs to the saloon and settled at the bar with her laundry in her rucksack. She ordered some breakfast from the grizzled older woman behind the bar. When the woman came back with her eggs and toast and coffee, Cole inquired of the bar-matron, “Ma’am, is there somewhere I could wash up my dirties?” She hiked the rucksack up onto her shoulder as to emphasize her point.

 

The older woman had a somewhat sour look on her face as she responded, “First, name’s Augusta, but most folks just call me Gus, and second, you can leave that with me and I can have my niece do it up when she comes in later. Won’t cost you nothing, either. She’s got behind on the washing anyway, so might as well teach her a lesson.”

 

Gus seemed stern and stoic, but as she began speaking about her niece, Cole noticed the older woman’s voice soften a bit, taking on a slightly more playful tone. Cole knew they must be close. “I think that sounds alright to me, Gus. But you’re sure I can’t offer you a few coins anyway? It seems only right to pay you for services rendered,” Cole replied with a wink, intending her tone to sound teasing as well.

 

Gus smiled a little coy smirk and said, “Well, now that you mention it, that does seem fair.” She paused, and Cole wondered what was passing through her mind. Gus seemed to be considering saying something more but didn’t know whether to speak or not. Eventually though, Gus seemed to push whatever else she was thinking aside to continue, “I’ll make sure those clothes are ready for you by morning, alright?”

 

Cole simply replied, “Thank you, Gus,” not wanting to start anything by calling the other woman out. She nodded as she handed over her rucksack and a few coins. Gus nodded back briefly, before returning to her other customers. Cole took a moment to look around before finishing up her breakfast. When she reached the front stoop, she slipped her Stetson onto to her head, and ventured out into town to explore.

 

~~~

 

The town itself really wasn’t very large, only two intersecting dirt streets, as they were, both petering out into nonexistence at the edges of town. There was a barber shop, that doubled as the doctor’s office and a small telegraph office, that shared a building with the post office. Cole meandered past a blacksmith too on her to the stable to check on Jane and to pay for her stabling and feed for the next few days.

 

Pete, the stable’s farrier, seemed like a good sort, so Cole decided to have him check Jane’s shoes and make sure she didn’t need to be re-shod while they were staying in town. Pete seemed excited at having something to do and that enthusiasm had Cole sure Pete would not only take care of Jane but take good care of her. Before Cole took her leave, she inquired about the general store in town. Pete gave pretty simple directions, and Cole thanked him before letting the young man get back to his work.

 

Cole passed a small church and the town’s water tower as she made her way to the somewhat run down looking general store. Once inside, she perused the shelves, picking up a few things she knew she’d need for the rest of her journey to Pueblo. Meandering amongst the few clothing racks the store had, Cole felt a rush of air as someone opened the front door to the shop. What she saw stopped her dead in her tracks. Brilliant hazel eyes, long honey brown hair, and a cute little smile, Cole instantly knew she was in trouble. She blushed when their eyes met, sure she was grinning like an idiot, but she couldn’t help it. There right in front of her was the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen.

 

The clerk called out, “Morning, Waverly,” from behind her and Cole snapped to, quickly realizing she had been staring and marched her way over to the clerk. She plopped her goods down on top of the counter and tried to have a cordial, yet hushed, conversation with the man as he wrapped everything in butcher’s paper. She wanted to tell him it wasn’t necessary, that he didn’t need to bother with the paper, but not a minute in, the little hairs on the back of her neck started to stand on end. She could feel Waverly’s eyes on her, watching Cole’s every move, and a small bead of sweat formed on her brow. She needed to get out of the store before she was forced to actually engage the young woman, not because she didn’t want to, but because she wanted to a little too much.

 

The clerk said something, but Cole didn’t catch it. She was about to apologize and ask him to repeat himself, but just then there was a presence right beside her elbow. She knew that Waverly was the only other person in the store and when Cole heard that sweet voice for the first time she almost fainted. “Seems like a tough decision,” Waverly said in sort of sing-song voice, lots or rise and fall, and Cole couldn’t help but get distracted by it. The words were simple, and it was a simple statement, but Cole just couldn’t follow, her train of thought totally derailed. And as if Waverly’s voice wasn’t enough to distract her, combined it with the twinkle in Waverly’s eye and the smile on her face, and Cole didn’t stand a chance. She simply stared blankly at the young woman as she continued, “What’d’ya reckon, Gray, is he a mute or something?”

 

The sound of Gray’s deep, hearty laugh finally Cole snapped out of her stupor, and she knew instantly she had to say something, _anything_. She quickly fell back on her native Georgia drawl, trying to sound only a little mocking as she said, “Nah, darlin. I ain’t deaf, just dumb.”

 

Cole was delighted when Waverly’s brows cocked up, sweet smile turning quickly to playful smirk. Understanding crossed clearly over Waverly’s features, instantly recognizing that Cole was, in fact, not dumb. Waverly’s coy reply came moments later, “Well, then if you need help deciding, I’d say get the brown one. It goes with your eyes.”

 

Cole looked back at the clerk, Gray, apparently, only to realize she had brought both a black and a brown canvas duster to the counter. She had only picked up the brown one to see if maybe it fit her better than the black one, and it hadn’t, but for some reason she hadn’t put it down. She had intended to just buy the black one, but now Waverly was standing there, saying such sweet things and Cole couldn’t think of a better reason to buy the brown one, than to flatter the young woman. She ducked her head in a little apology to Gray, and quickly turned back to the store to return the black duster to the rack she had taken it from.

 

When Cole returned to the front of the store, Waverly was still there, only this time leaning forward across the counter, and Cole couldn’t stop herself from allowing her eyes to trail up the young woman’s skirt-covered legs and hips. When she finally looked up, she realized Gray had just caught her, undressing Waverly with her eyes. He seemed smug about it, immediately leaning down to whisper something quietly to Waverly. The girl snapped around with a playful laugh, saying, “Well, handsome, if you want an eye full, why don’t you come by Shorty’s tonight and catch the show.”

 

Cole’s confidence soared when she heard Waverly calling her handsome, and she strode back up to the counter, tipping her hat as she said, “I’ll be sure to do just that, ma’am, but might I ask, what kind of performance will I be attending?”

 

Waverly blushed, eyeing Cole through her batting eyelashes, and said, “Well, I sing, mostly, but I have been known to dance too, if the right partner comes along, that is.”

 

Cole grinned furiously at that and easily replied, “Well, ma’am, my name will be first on your dance card tonight, I can assure you that.”

 

“Is that right? And what is your name, handsome?” Waverly asked, scooching a little closer to Cole.

 

Cole tipped her hat again, saying, “Cole Haught, ma’am. And who might you be?”

 

Waverly blushed a little deeper, reaching out delicately, to accept Cole’s hand when she offered it, replying, “Nice to meet you Cole. I’m Waverly, Waverly Earp.”

 

Cole faltered at that. Earp was a name she knew. Wyatt Earp to be exact. She’d run into him in Dodge City before she had fallen in with Lou and his gang of ruffians. Wyatt had seemed like a stand-up fellow, but when Cole had asked him if he knew anyone who had any work, he hadn’t, so she had moved on without a second thought. It wasn’t until she had been there a few weeks that she found out he was both a lawman and an outlaw, of sorts, and was not a man to cross. Cole thought that Purgatory was just too close to Dodge for the common name to be a coincidence. She immediately worried whether her actions in Dodge had reached as far west as Purgatory, if the law in town might actually be looking for her. She barely managed to utter, “I-It was a pleasure to m-meet you, Miss Earp, but if you’ll excuse me.” Cole tossed probably far too much money onto the counter and quickly scooped up her packages before rushing out the door, not relaxing a single muscle until she was safely back in the solitude of her room at the saloon.

 

~~~

 

Later on, sometime in the afternoon, Cole got restless hiding in her room and made her way downstairs to the bar, only to find one Waverly Earp folding her laundry on the bar top. She steeled her nerve and approached the young woman hoping to simply get her clothes and go back upstairs, but Waverly seemed to have other ideas, instantly commenting, “Well, I wondered whose clothes these were, but I guess I shoulda figured it out. You are our only guest.”

 

Cole wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that and decided to gloss over it, saying, “Well, ma’am I do appreciate the care you are taking with my things, but you don’t have to fold it all. I’m afraid I’ll be moving on in a day or two, so those will more than likely end up just shoved down in one of my saddle bags.”

 

Waverly’s eyes sparkled for just a moment, before growing utterly dim. Cole could only assume it was because of what she had just said. The look Waverly was giving her made her not want to leave, but it was really for the best. She knew she had only put about 200 miles in between herself and a death sentence, but she couldn’t deny that there was a part of her wanted nothing more than to stay in this little crossroads of a town, just to be near Waverly. She knew she could look into those beautiful eyes every day and never get tired of it.

 

Waverly finally broke the silence that had formed between them, asking quietly, “Where are you headed?”

 

“Pueblo for now, but after the winter, if I can’t find work, I’ll probably move on from there, too,” Cole answered as easily as she could.

 

Cole watched as Waverly positively lit up. She barely had time to process the dramatic change before Waverly blurted out, “Well, if you’re looking for work, Purgatory is looking for a new sheriff’s deputy. Sheriff Nedley is hoping to retire in a year or two, but he can’t without a deputy to train.”

 

Cole shifted uncomfortably on her feet. The last place in town she wanted to go was to the Sheriff’s office. She smiled as politely as she could manage and said, “Oh, I don’t know if I’m cut out to be a lawman.” She found herself wanting to tell Waverly that truthfully, she was more of an outlaw, most likely one with a bounty, but it seemed easier to just be vague and brush it off.

 

Waverly did seem to realize there was more to the statement too and rather bluntly asked, “What are you wanted for?”

 

“Well, I ne-” Cole began, pausing only to swallow back the bile in her throat. She wanted to lie, to tell Waverly she wasn’t wanted, but for some reason she found herself compelled to tell this young woman the truth. “I sort of fell in with the wrong people back in Dodge and being involved with them may have lead me to steal a horse trying to get away from a bad situation,” Cole confessed, with a cringe. It had been months since that night and yet, the sound of Todd’s blood curdling scream still rang loudly in her ears every time she thought of it. She didn’t want to admit it, but it felt oddly good to tell someone, even that much. The stress of being wanted had been hanging over her for far too long.

 

Waverly’s hand brushed against her forearm a moment later and Cole had to fight to keep herself from jerking away from the touch. “That’s awful,” she heard Waverly say, but something about the way she said it didn’t make Cole think she meant that it was awful that she had stolen horse, but that it was awful that she had had to do it. That assumption proved to be right when Waverly continued, saying, “Listen, we all make mistakes, Cole, but it’s what we do after that matters. Maybe you ought to try for the Sheriff’s job, might be you could do some good to counteract the bad.”

 

“I- I’ll think about it. Thanks for wash and fold, Miss Earp. I’ll, uh, I’ll see you later?” Cole replied, trying, but failing, to keep the hope out of her voice. She couldn’t help feeling a little unsettled as she took her folded laundry and rucksack off the countertop.

 

“I’m sure you will, Cole, I’m sure you will,” Waverly said, a smug smile on her face.

 

~~~

 

Cole stowed her gear upstairs and only a few minutes later slipped out of the saloon, intent on just wandering around town until it was late enough to go back to the saloon for a proper dinner and a drink and of course, Waverly’s show. Before long she found herself standing in front of the sort of dilapidated looking Sheriff’s office, knocking on the door. This was probably the worst idea she had ever had, but she felt like it couldn’t hurt to go in, look around, see if her face was on any of the wanted posters inside and then get out.

 

An older bearded man answered the door, a grumbled hello the only greeting he offered. He was appraising her the moment the door opened, though. For an older man, he had sharp watchful eyes and he seemed to be taking in every little detail of Cole as she waited to be invited inside. Cole took off her hat out of respect and it seemed that was just the right move. The Sheriff must have at least mildly approved of her presence because the next moment he stepped aside, and pushed the door open wider to allow her entrance.

 

The inside of the office was just as dingy and run down as the outside, but despite the musty smell lingering in the air, Cole felt oddly at ease. The Sheriff ushered her inside and gestured towards one of the two empty chairs in the place. She accepted the seat and waited patiently for the Sheriff to take his own seat. Finally, the man spoke, “What’s your name, son?”

 

“Haught, sir, Cole Haught,” she stated firmly, adding a little gruff to her own voice in response to his husky tone.

 

His brow furrowed, and it was all Cole could do to remain still. If he made a move to arrest her, she knew she could out run him, but she really didn’t want to have to run anymore. She really did want a place to settle down, a place to call home. Before she could get too nervous though, the Sheriff finally said, “Well, Cole, I’m Randy Nedley, Sheriff of this one-horse town. What brings you to my office today?”

 

Cole couldn’t explain why she felt like she could tell this man anything, maybe it was something in his eyes, but she couldn’t quite figure it out. She found herself speaking before she really even thought about it, saying, “Well, sir, I’m new in town, obviously, and I’m looking for some honest work and I heard that you might be looking for a deputy.”

 

Nedley seemed to be appraising her even harder after that, eyes glinting, as he replied, “And what makes you think you might be a good deputy?”

 

“Well, sir, if I’m being honest, I haven’t been the most law-abiding citizen the last few years… In fact, there’s probably even a warrant for my arrest back in Kansas, but I think that my experience on the other side of the law might be what makes me the perfect candidate for being your new deputy,” Cole said, instantly regretting it. Her hands gripped the arms on her chair tightly, ready to push off of it to get away if she had to.

 

She needn’t’ve worried though, because Nedley’s next question ended up throwing her for a loop. “What for?” he stated flatly, fixing her with an expectant look. She couldn’t do much more than stare at him, unable to really grasp what he meant. Thankfully, he elaborated, “What’s the warrant for?”

 

Cole was nervous about continuing with the conversation, instincts screaming at her to get the hell out of there, but she wasn’t going to shy away from what she had done anymore. “Horse theft, sir,” she finally replied, squaring her jaw and looking him right in the eyes.

 

The Sheriff made a noncommittal sort of sound and asked, “Did you do it?” Cole simply nodded, truly surprised he hadn’t moved to arrest her yet. She let her eyes drop, truly feeling the shame of what she had done. The sheriff’s next question had her eyes jumping back up to meet his again. “Alright, but the real question is… why’d you do it?”

 

Cole thought about the answer to that question. The obvious answer was that, it was a choice between stealing the horse or taking a blast to stomach like Todd. Cole knew there was something more to it though. She had been wanting out of Dodge City for a while, had been wanting to move on, to move west like pretty much everyone else in the country. ‘The land of opportunity,’ she thought bitterly before finally answering his question, saying, “The short answer is I got mixed up with the wrong sort in Dodge and when I saw my opportunity to get out of there, I did. The long answer is… well, it’s long…”

 

As her voice trailed off, she fixed the Sheriff with a solemn look and simply waited to hear what the older man had to say. His overly large moustache twitched once or twice, and his brow creased with a deep furrow. It seemed to Cole he was trying to look into her very soul, and as much as she wanted to look away from his prying eyes, she knew something needed to change in her life and this was a good chance for a fresh start, if he would just give it to her.

 

“How about this, son? Let’s us go over to Shorty’s, have a round or two and you can tell all about it, alright? It’s almost time for dinner anyway,” he finally asked, much to Cole’s relief.

 

“That’s sounds beyond fair of you, sir,” she replied easily, smirking as she added, “Would you consider it bribery if I offered to buy the first round?”

 

The Sheriff’s lips crooked up into a smile as he replied, “Hell no, son. One thing Randy Nedley does not do is turn down free hooch.”

 

Cole chuckled at that, leading them out of the office, saying, “I’ll be sure to remember that, sir.”

 

~~~

 

Randy, ‘You buy me hooch, you call me Randy,’ Nedley seemed like a good man, maybe even among the best of men; reasonable, intelligent, and above all else, fair. He listened as Cole explained all about her time with Lou’s gang in Dodge, and after, the nights on the trail and the ranch in Blackwell. Eventually, he asked about before Dodge. Cole simply asked him not to and was pleasantly surprised when he didn’t press. They grew quiet for a few minutes, the Sheriff obviously deep in thought, when Cole finally caught sight of Waverly, sashaying her way down the stairs. Her breath hitched in her throat when the brunette turned on the landing, eyes sweeping the entire room, but only landing on her.

 

Cole’s audible gulp snapped the Sheriff out of his thoughts, and he harrumphed, mumbling, “Well, don’t that beat all,” under his breath.

 

There was a moment Cole didn’t quite know what he meant, until she caught the sight of Waverly’s smile. It was face-splittingly wide, all teeth and lips and it was definitely contagious. She couldn’t help the slow smile that crept over her own lips. Cole watched as this angel descended the rest of the stairs. Waverly stopped and chatted with what seemed like half the town as she made her way across the bar. Cole’s heart pounded at the sight before her. Waverly was in a long flowing gown, complete with bustle and bustier, looking delicate and dainty in blue. She was the very definition of beauty. So beautiful that when she finally made her bar across the crowded bar, Cole couldn’t make more than, “You are a vision,” come out of her mouth.

 

The blush that flushed over the brunette’s features was everything. Cole’s smile widening as Waverly demurely replied, “Thank you, Cole. I was hoping you would like my dress.”

 

Recovering herself, and leaning in a little bit, Cole half whispered her next compliment, “It’s pretty, but it’s nothing compare to the beauty underneath.” A clearing throat behind her had Cole pulling back though before she could say more, before she could say how much she wanted to see everything underneath that dress. ‘That would be too forward anyway,’ Cole thought as she tried to take in the look on Randy’s face. He looked amused, but wasn’t overtly laughing, a simple knowing smirk on his face. She knew that Randy must know Waverly, he probably knew everyone in town, but she thought being polite was the right way to go and said, “Randy, you know Waverly Earp, don’t you?” while gesturing to the newest addition to their conversation.

 

“Oh, of course, I do. I’ve known little Waverly since she was about yay high,” he replied easily, bending back a bit and putting his hand out, down low. Cole turned to look at Waverly, catching sight of more beautiful blushing as Randy continued, “She’s quite the popular girl around here.”

 

Something about the way he said that disturbed Cole a bit, like he knew something she didn’t, but she pushed those thoughts aside when Waverly piped up, “Yep, it’s all in the smile and wave.” Cole knew for sure there was something there, seeing Waverly’s response to his words. The nonchalance, the bravado of her fake smile and almost timid wave, hiding something painful and deep, but one moment it was there, and the next it was gone. “Would you look at the time? I’ve got to finish getting ready,” Waverly added, glancing up at something over Cole’s right shoulder. She leaned in a little, placing a hand on Cole’s arm, drawing her down so Waverly could add at a hushed whisper, “I hope you still want that dance, ‘cause I’ve been looking forward to it all day.” Cole gulped at the seductive tone in Waverly’s voice and nodded a little too excitedly. Waverly giggled against her ear, and Cole couldn’t think of a better sound on the planet. The brunette was pulling away and Cole let her, even though she didn’t want to and after a polite head nod and a simple, “Sheriff,” Waverly was off.

 

Randy laughed beside her, clapping a hand on her back as Cole watched Waverly walk away. “Now, I see why you came into my office today looking to settle down,” he said, before turning up the last of his drink.

 

Cole didn’t respond until Waverly was completely out of sight, finally turning back to the Sheriff. “Everything I said before is true. I am looking for honest work, an honest life. Waverly’s got nothing to do with it,” Cole said, even though she knew that it wasn’t entirely true. While Waverly was part of it, she didn’t want this man to think she wasn’t serious about wanting more for her life than just running. She had gotten a taste of it in Blackwell, and while being a hand on a farm had suited her just fine, she felt like she hadn’t been lying when she told the Sheriff she thought she would be a good fit for the deputy job. She was quick on her feet and quicker on the draw, but she had always used those skills for personal gain, for her own survival. She wanted more from her life than that. “I want my life to mean more than it has so far, and I think I could do that here, in this town, if you’ll give me the chance,” Cole said, finally bringing her eyes back up to meet his.

 

He seemed to consider her words for a moment before he said, “Alright then, Haught. I’ve just got one question left for you…” Randy paused, probably for dramatic effect before he added, “Can you start tomorrow?”

 

Relief flooded through Cole like a tidal wave. Her smile returned, this time puckering up the dimples in her cheeks and replied, “Of course, sir. Thank you, sir. You won’t regret this, s-”

 

Randy cut her off, “Say sir one more time and you’ll regret it.” Cole winced, but she relaxed a little as he continued, “Sir, makes me feel old, son, and I don’t need any help there. Just come on over to the office in the morning and we’ll get you deputized.”

 

“Sounds good, s-Sheriff,” Cole said, stuttering, almost saying ‘sir’ again, but Randy’s smile was easy, as he nodded his head, and got up from his stool.

 

~~~

 

A half hour later, when the piano player took his seat and began to play, Cole turned and found the most beautiful sight before her. Waverly was leaning against one end on the piano, chest out, head back. Her mass of brown locks coiled up in a tight bun, leaving the delicate lines on her neck and collarbone exposed. Cole was mesmerized by the amount of skin and cleavage so boldly on display, but when the brunette’s mouth opened, and her voice rang out, Cole’s jaw actually dropped.

 

Waverly’s voice sounded like a siren’s song, and all eyes in the room turned to her as she crooned out the words. When Cole could finally look away from the brunette, she realized this was why Waverly was such a popular girl. She was enthralling, all beauty, and grace, and intelligence and talent; she was perfect. Cole didn’t have the mental capacity to process all the information her senses were sending to her brain. Waverly was overwhelming, the few drinks Cole had consumed notwithstanding. Cole wasn’t aware of the passing of time, or Gus refilling her drink, or anything else in the room when Waverly locked eyes with her as that voice swelled with a crescendo in the music. Cole couldn’t look away and it seemed Waverly couldn’t either.

 

Which meant, it was quite the surprise when a single gunshot rang out in the night out front of the saloon. The spell broken, Cole’s eyes snapped towards the sound, body moving for the door an instant later. Pistol already drawn, Cole pushed her way through the shocked crowd, most people too busy looking at their own feet or hiding under tables to be much off an obstacle for her. She chanced one glance back at Waverly before she slipped out the door.

 

~~~

 

The street was quiet, almost too quiet, and Cole hesitated for a moment before she realized that there was someone lying in the street. She moved as quiet as possible out towards the figure, hair on the back of her neck prickling to attention as she moved. She knew she was being watched, but the question was, by who. When she reached the body, she made to roll it over before a hand on her shoulder made her pause. “Eyes up, son. They’re coming,” Randy Nedley whispered into the night behind her. In an instant, they were back to back, guns pointing out, watching both ways down the street, waiting for whatever was going to come. Randy grunted and nudged her with his elbow and she swung around, eyes taking in the figures of four men standing down the street from them.

 

They were moving closer, ambling down the street, all casual like, towards the Sheriff and his new almost-deputy. When the men finally got close enough to make them out, Cole realized these men were not townspeople. They were dirty and unshaven; they looked like they’d spent days, or even weeks, on the trail. The most unnerving thing to Cole was that they all looked mean enough to shoot first and then not even bother asking questions after. They were armed, but none of them had a weapon drawn, even though they were staring down the barrel of Randy’s pistol as well as Cole’s own six-shooter.

 

“This doesn’t concern you, son. Git back on in the saloon and we’ll let you live,” the grimy man in front called out.

 

Cole was nervous as cat in heat, but she didn’t show it, barking back, “The way I see it, ya’ll are at the disadvantage here. Might be ya’ll who wanna be moving on.” She couldn’t help the way her southern drawl leaked into the words. The accent always came back when she was stressed.

 

The man took a step forward, laughing at the top of his lungs, fixing Cole with his wild eyes as he replied, “You hear that boys, seems like we got us a Georgia peach all the way out here in Colorado.”

 

Cole cringed at his words, knowing her strained voice must have been higher pitched than she thought. ‘Could he know?’ she thought as he continued to move closer. She wasn’t going to take any chances and it seemed Randy wasn’t ready to give up either, both cocking the hammers back on their pistols at the same time. The outlaw paused, studying her, eyes scrunching up in thought. A wicked grin spread over his lips, revealing broken black teeth underneath. Cole wasn’t sure whether it was that grotesque sight or the knowing look in his eyes, but she was soon so on edge that she was afraid she might pull the trigger just to wipe that look off his face.

 

Thankfully, he didn’t push his luck, or theirs, as he conceded, “You know what boys, let’s blow on out of here. Doesn’t seem like we’re all that welcome.”

 

What he did next shocked Cole to utter speechlessness. He simply turned his back on the two of them, guns still aimed right at him, and walked away, gathering his boys to him as he went. Cole and Nedley watched them as they made their way off into the darkness at the edge of town, and even a little after, just to be sure they were gone.

 

After a few more, deep breaths, Cole holstered her pistol and turned back to the body in the street. Just as she was about to roll the body this time, it sprang up from the ground with a shout, “WOO! Man, you said it would work Nedley, but I really didn’t believe you.”

 

“Well, Wynonna, of course it worked. You think ole Robert Svane would pass up the opportunity to kill another Earp?” Randy replied with a bitter laugh, crossing to Wynonna. “We oughta get you outta the street, though. Don’t want it getting back to Bobo that his shot didn’t do the trick. I’m sure Waverly’s real worried, too,” he added quieter than before, glancing over his shoulder at the saloon.

 

Cole was still trying to get her breathing under control, after the shot and the confrontation and then the dead coming back to life. She was more than a little shaken, but when Randy mentioned Waverly, her gaze shot over to the bar as well. Sure enough, there was little Waverly Earp, arms folded across her chest, a deep scowl scrunching up her features. “Who’s the new kid?” came from behind her and it took a fair amount of will to turn away from Waverly standing in the window.

 

Quickly stepping across the distance between them, Cole reached out her hand to Wynonna and said, “Cole Haught, ma’am. I just got in to town last night.”

 

Wynonna clasped her hand in a tight grip as Randy clapped her on the back, saying, “Yeah, Cole here is my new deputy. Starts tomorrow, though, I guess I’m lucky he’s got a death wish, staring down Bobo like that.”

 

They started to move towards the saloon, as Cole replied, “Not a death wish, Sheriff, just got no patience for men like him.”

 

“Well, patience or not, son, you made an enemy today. They’ll be back, though now that they think Wynonna is dead, it may be a little while,” Randy said wistfully.

 

Wynonna’s next words chilled Cole to the bone, though.

 

“Oh yeah, they’ll be back, and they’ll be after Waverly next.”

 

~~~

 

The saloon cleared out pretty quick after that. The townspeople didn’t seem to be the brave sort, most having dipped out the back of the bar the second Bobo and his gang had shown their faces on the street. The patrons still there were either too drunk to really understand what exactly had happened, or they were simply too scared to move until Randy assured them it was safe to go on home. Eventually, it was just Randy and Gus, and Wynonna and Waverly, and Cole. She couldn’t help but feel like an outsider. Randy and Gus were obviously not more than friends, though it seemed like they had known each other for a long time, the way they laughed and carried on together. Waverly had clutched onto Wynonna the moment they had entered the bar and hadn’t let go since. Cole knew instantly they were sisters, family resemblance and all, but the way Waverly seemed almost desperate to reassure herself that her sister was alright, told Cole they must be incredibly close.

 

“Hope I’m not interrupting anything,” came from the front door, all eyes quickly turning towards the sound.

 

Waverly was first up, crossing the room like a hummingbird, fast and light. “DOC!” she shouted as she wrapped both arms around the newcomer, sighing when her head met his chest. Cole felt jealous instantly, standing from her stool, hand instinctively coming to rest on her pistol. A moment later, Randy had his hand over hers. Cole turned to meet his eyes and a brief shake of his head and a grim expression were enough to cool Cole’s heels. Gus and Wynonna had already crossed the room during their silent exchange, so Cole trailed after Randy as they went to greet the new arrival.

 

Pleasantries were exchanged, hugs and cheek kisses and handshakes until Doc got around to greeting Cole. He stared her up and down like he’d seen her before, just unable to place where. He offered her a firm handshake which she returned in kind. The twitch of his moustache was the only indication of movement before Cole was turned around, arm jacked up behind her back, him hissing in her ear, “You’ve got some nerve, boy, stealing a man’s horse and then trying to shake his hand.”

 

Cole barely managed to bite back a whine as he wrenched her wrist up to her shoulder. Both joints were screaming in pain, but his grip relaxed a little a moment of two later. She craned her neck around to see Waverly with her hand on his shoulder, a pleading look in her eyes. “Doc, why don’t we get you a drink and then Cole can explain himself, alright?” Waverly asked quietly, tipping her head towards the bar. He must have been giving Waverly some look in return because Waverly turned to her and asked, “You won’t try to run, right?”

 

Cole instantly shook her head, saying, “No, no, I- I would like a chance to explain. I- I didn’t mean to steal your horse. It, uh, well, it just sort of happened.”

 

Doc’s grip relaxed a bit further, and a bit further until he had a simple grip on her wrist. “I could gun you down at a hundred yards at a dead run, boy. Don’t try me.” Cole shook her head again and merely followed them to the bar, gratefully accepting a shot of her own when Gus poured her one. She wasn’t sure what she was going to say, but when he called out, “Alright, start talking,” she downed her shot and turned to him.

 

“I- I’ve got a sob story I’m sure you don’t care about and explanations you probably wanna hear even less. I guess, all I can say is I was running for my life after that carriage driver killed Todd, and Jane was closer than Todd’s horse,” Cole stated shakily, trying desperately to keep the fear she was feeling out of her voice. “Truth is she did save my life, too. I was just surviving before, doing things I never thought I would just so’s I could eat, but having her to take care of, I- I got a job as a farm hand in Blackwell, so I’d have money to keep her up. Hell, only reason I got that job was ‘cause I had a horse. Point is, I’m real sorry I stole her from you, but doing it changed my life, so if I had to, I’d do it again.” She couldn’t believe what she was saying, she was admitting to stealing this man’s horse and admitting she didn’t regret it. She was sure he was going to be dragging her back to Dodge for a trial, i.e. an execution, but still she couldn’t regret stealing Jane that night. It really had changed her, having something to care about again. It meant she was more open to caring about other things too, like the night in Blackwell when the barn got struck by lighting and caught fire. She ran in to get all the horses out, not just Jane, but all the others, and then stayed up half the night helping the other hands put out the blaze. The change showed on nights like this one, too. Old Cole would have never intervened in a street fight and would have run at the first sign trouble with Doc, but now she was resigned to whatever happened because while she couldn’t change her past, she could do better in the future, if he’d just give her the chance.

 

“I’ve already heard the whole story, Doc. I think he’s telling the truth. Actually, I had decided to hire him as my new deputy, unless you’ve got a problem with that,” Randy said, coming over to stand next to Cole. He put a hand out on her shoulder and she couldn’t hold in her sigh of relief. Here was a good man, to step up for her like she had done for him not an hour ago. It was surprisingly touching, and a small smile spread across her lips.

 

The best part was that her own smile seemed contagious now, because when she looked back to Doc he was sporting a little grin himself. “So, you still have her?” he asked, obvious hope in his voice.

 

“Of course, sir. I left her with Pete at the stable here in town. I checked on her just this morning,” Cole replied, hope slipping into her own voice as well.

 

Doc was quiet for a long moment, appearing to consider her words before he finally said, “Well, seeming as I already have a new horse, and he is a beaut, how’s about I sell my old horse to you, and then we can put this whole business behind us?”

 

Cole wanted to agree immediately, but the money she had left-over from the job in Blackwell and her winnings from poker a few nights before were already running short and she didn’t know when or how much she would be paid as a Sheriff’s deputy. She hesitated before offering a tentative, “Alright, how much would you want for her?”

 

Tapping a finger against his moustache, he replied, “How’s about forty dollars? She’s not a young thing anymore, otherwise I’d be asking double. In her prime, she was the fastest horse around.”

 

Cole was beyond relieved, forty dollars she could do. She may not have much to eat on until she got paid, but she could make do. She sighed and was about to open her mouth to thank him when Doc interrupted, “Actually, I feel a plan forming. Wyatt and I are having a hell of a time nailing down your old boss, Lou. How’s about once I’ve finished my business here you come back to Dodge with me and help us nail him and you can keep the horse for free… Assuming Sheriff Nedley here, will be kind enough to loan you out for a while.”

 

Cole was more than happy to agree, glancing over at the Sheriff to say, “Sheriff, I’d love the chance to right some of my wrongs, after we deal with the problems here, of course.”

 

Nedley simply smiled and replied, “I think that can be arranged.”

 

~~~

 

Cole trudged up to her room, barely managing to keep her eyes open as she crested the stairs. She flopped onto her bed the instant that she was able, the last of her adrenaline expelled with a sigh. Before she really knew what was happening, someone was tugging on her boots. “Generally, isn’t it customary to wait until the someone is dead before you steal their boots?” she grumbled, flipping over in the bed, trying to pull her feet away. A pained squeak came from the foot of the bed as her foot made contact with something solid and Cole shot up in the bed, coming face to face with Waverly Earp, at the foot of the bed, on her knees, cupping her chin with tears in her eyes. “Oh, Lord. Waverly, are you alright?” Cole exclaimed, probably a little too loud, especially for it being the middle of the night.

 

“I’m alright, just bit my tongue, is all,” Waverly said, sniffling a little before she added defensively, “And I wasn’t trying to steal your boots, I just thought you’d be more comfortable with’em off.”

 

Cole smiled at that, liking Waverly’s obviously spunky nature. If she was feeling bold she would have asked, ‘Well, do you want me to kiss it and make it better?’ but instead she asked, “Not that I’m complaining, but what are you even doing in here?” Cole loved watching the blush creep up Waverly’s cheeks at her words and couldn’t help but notice that same blush creeping down her neck and onto her upper chest as well. She wondered how far down that blush went. Shaking her head, she quickly brought her eyes back up, knowing that _that_ was not an option, knowing that if they started anything, she wouldn’t be able to stop. She dismissed her more sordid thoughts completely, quickly realizing she wasn’t exactly sure Waverly would be accepting of her particular situation anyway.

 

When their eyes met again, Waverly merely smiled softly and said, “I wanted to stop by and thank you for what you did earlier. Wynonna and Nedley had this half-hatched plan to lure Bobo into town to fake Wynonna’s death. Thing is, they weren’t expecting him to show up with so many of his friends. I-I’m afraid what might have happened to them if you hadn’t been there to back them up.”

 

Cole smiled as Waverly spoke, watching as the younger woman settled next to her, sitting along the edge of the bed together. She clasped her hands together in her lap to keep from reaching out for the brunette, as she replied, “You don’t have to thank me. It just seemed like the right thing to do at the time.”

 

When Cole glanced over at Waverly, she found the younger woman clutching her own hands together. “I-I didn’t mean to come into your room uninvited, either. It was- It’s just that you didn’t answer when I knocked, and I got sort of worried. I can just go,” Waverly said, her hands fidgeting a little before she stood abruptly and marched towards the door.

 

“Wait!” came out of Cole’s mouth before she could even think, her body instinctively following the younger woman. She quickly crossed the room, taking Waverly’s hand in her own as she explained, “I really was looking forward to dancing with you tonight, Miss Waverly, and I mean… Do you- Would you like to dance with me now?”

 

Waverly giggled, hand flexing against Cole’s and for a moment Cole could barely breath, until Waverly voice broke in between them, “Well, we don’t have the piano, but I suppose could sing something for us to dance to, if you wanted?”

 

The brunette’s tone turned very shy by the time she was finished speaking and Cole thought it was the sweetest thing she’d ever heard, Waverly offering to sing so they would have something to dance to. She immediately returned that soft smile and swept Waverly into the center of her small room. The rush of air that escaped Waverly’s lips at the maneuver played across Cole’s face and her smile widened as she said, “I’d like that very much, Waverly.”

 

Waverly began humming a soft tune. It was almost recognizable, but Cole couldn’t think where she might’ve heard it before. She shivered slightly as Waverly’s hands snaked up around her neck, Cole’s own hands coming to rest on Waverly’s waist at almost the same time. They swayed back and forth, as Waverly’s humming finally became lyrics. Cole quickly realized the tune only sounded familiar, but that didn’t seem to matter, all that mattered was right in front of her. The way Waverly was looking into her eyes, Cole knew this was already going too far, but she couldn’t stop herself from leaning in a placing a sweet kiss to Waverly’s lips in between verses. Waverly gasped at the move, but didn’t pull away, instead she pushed forward into the action, kissing Cole like she couldn’t imagine doing anything else. It was soft and passionate and so special, Cole found herself fighting the urge to simply lay Waverly out on her bed and kiss the young brunette for the rest of the night.

 

Eventually, when they finally broke apart, both gasping for air, Cole husked a little laugh into Waverly’s mouth, beginning with, “Waverly, I-” before her voice caught in her throat. She suddenly realized how far Waverly’s hands had wandered while they had been kissing. While her own hands were still firmly settled on the younger woman’s waist, Waverly’s hands had sunk down on to her upper chest, just above her bound breasts. She immediately became self-conscious, cursing herself for letting her guard down. She couldn’t afford to get involved with Waverly. She couldn’t afford for people to find out about her. She was just starting to get her life together here, and even though being near Waverly had been part of her deciding to try to make Purgatory a home, she knew deep down this was a very a bad idea. She remembered the anger in the faces of the townspeople in East Kansas, how they hated and feared her just for being a woman dressed as a man. She remembered the look on Shannon’s father’s face when she discovered them that night in the hayloft. She grimaced, imagining Gus and Wynonna and Doc and even Nedley chasing her through town, out for blood. She shook her head; she couldn’t let that happen. Cole had made a deal with Doc, anything that would happen with Waverly would have to wait until she made those wrongs right.

 

Thoughts still running a mile a minute, Cole pushed on Waverly’s waist, creating as much distance as she could. She didn’t look Waverly in the eyes as she tried to speak again, “Waverly, I- I can’t do this. I’m sorry. I- I can’t explain either but trust me when I say while I want nothing more to keep kissing you, this, this just isn’t a good idea.”

 

Cole was almost expecting what happened next, she just didn’t expect it to hurt quite so much. She barely had time to close her eyes before Waverly’s open hand collided with her face as she spat, “Well, fine time to tell me that. I can’t believe I let you… let myself… UGH!”

 

Cole’s cheek and jaw felt like a hundred bees had stung her all at once as Waverly whirled around and stomped towards the door. All she could do was watch, open mouthed as Waverly slipped through the opening, slamming the door shut behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning was beyond awkward.

 

When Cole reached the bottom of the stairs, she had expected to see Gus behind the bar or maybe the man she had met her first night there, who she could only assume was Gus’ husband. Instead, there was Waverly, dappled in the soft light of morning filtering in through the saloon’s windowed front wall. Cole didn’t want to admit it, but she could imagine mornings waking up to that face. Realizing she was probably staring though, she made her way over to the bar and stuttered a little nervously as she said, “G-good morning, Waverly. Would it be too much trouble to get breakfast this early?”

 

“What do you want?” Waverly replied sternly, not even bothering to look up from the glass she was polishing.

 

Cole kept her gaze fixed on the younger woman, hoping to ease the tension between them by saying, “I don’t wanna be a bother. Maybe just a couple pieces of bread and some butter?”

 

“Have a seat and I’ll bring it to you,” Waverly said, even more dryly than before, gesturing over towards the mostly empty tables scattered about the room.

 

Cole could easily see the intention there. Waverly was telling her in no uncertain terms to pick a table, because the last thing Waverly wanted was for her to sit at the bar, but Cole couldn’t bring herself to step away without saying, “Waverly, look at me.” When the younger woman shot her a steely glare, one that Cole really could only find more adorable, she continued, “Waverly, I-I am truly sorry about last night. I should have explained myself better. I would like very much to- to court you, but I don’t want things between us to escalate only for me to leave to go back to Dodge City with Doc in a few days. If I- No, _when I_ come back, I hope you’ll give me a chance to show you how much I regret pushing you away last night.”

 

As Cole spoke, she watched the expression on Waverly’s face soften little by little, until Waverly was finally smiling that gorgeous smile she had shown Cole the day before. There was something there behind that smile; a little sweet and a little devious and Cole wasn’t prepared for the heat that suffused her body when Waverly’s tongue peeked out from between her teeth, wetting her lips before she said, “You better keep that promise you just made, Cole Haught. I don’t take kindly to broken promises and trust me when I say… I am very much looking forward to you making it up to me.” Cole could see Waverly looking at her lips as she added, “Now, how about I get you something to put in that pretty mouth of yours.”

 

Before she could respond, Waverly turned to tromp off into the back, where Cole assumed the kitchen was located. She knew she was probably blushing from Waverly’s little compliment and to be honest, from the way Waverly had put a little extra swish in her hips as she exited the room. She turned towards the rest of the room, trying to distract herself from the stirring warmth in her chest. She considered moving off to one the empty tables, only to realize that Doc was sitting quietly at one of the tables fairly close by. Cole was beyond embarrassed to realize that he had probably heard her entire exchange with Waverly, and quickly stepped away from the bar, intent now, on selecting an empty table. As she passed though, Doc’s grizzled voice called out, “No need to be shy, son. Come on over a jaw with me for a few, willya?”

 

Cole hung her head slightly and redirected herself to Doc’s table. “Good Morning, Doc. I don’t suppose we can just act like you didn’t hear any of that, right?” she asked as she sat herself down in the chair across from the gunslinger.

 

His laughter was warm and good-natured as he reached across the distance between them to clap her on the shoulder. His eyes were full of mirth as he said, “While I did hear every word, you won’t be getting any guff from me about it. I know what it’s like to interested in an Earp woman. They don’t make it easy for gentleman such as ourselves to keep our wits about us.”

 

Doc’s smirk widened as footsteps approached their table. Cole whipped her head around just in time to watch Waverly sashay up to her with a plate full of bread and butter and a little pot of jam. Cole didn’t realize how hungry she was until the food was placed in front of her, but despite her hunger she couldn’t look away from the sweet smile on Waverly’s face. Those eyes dipped slightly, and Cole knew she was looking at her lips again as she said, “I thought you might want something other than just butter for your bread. I, uh, I made the jam myself, it’s cherry.”

 

Waverly’s demure reply had some of Cole’s confidence returning. She smiled wide and bright as she replied, “How did you know that cherry jam is my favorite, Miss Earp?”

 

Waverly giggled, and Cole delighted at the little shiver ran through her at the sound. She tried to focus as Waverly responded, “I guess I’m just that good, Deputy Haught. Now, you be sure to let me know if you need anything else.” Waverly turned on her heel then, before swishing her hips all the way back to the bar.

 

A clearing throat snapped Cole out of the daze those hips created, and when she came to, she found Randy Nedley standing over Doc’s shoulder. He was smiling that knowing smile, barely containing a laugh as he said, “Morning, gentleman. Beautiful day, isn’t it?”

 

Cole couldn’t reply right away, too self-conscious about her obvious staring to be able to form words. Doc relieved her of that duty though, saying, “It sure is, Sheriff. It sure is. Would you like to join us?”

 

When the Sheriff moved, Cole immediately rose out of respect, waiting on Nedley to sit down before she retook her seat. By the time he was settled, Waverly was already coming back over to their table, three steaming mugs in her hands. “Mornin’, Sheriff,” Waverly greeted as she moved to place the mugs down in front of each of them.

 

Cole managed to keep her focus on Nedley and Doc until she felt something bump against her shoulder. She glanced over and realized Waverly’s hip was resting against her shoulder as she leaned across the table to put down the mugs. Cole wanted to look away, but she just couldn’t. The way Waverly’s skirt hung loose over her body, only to be pulled taught over her backside was utterly entrancing. Nedley cleared his throat again and Cole had the decency to glance his way before her desire to touch Waverly got the better of her. His knowing smile returning, he replied, “Good morning, Waverly. Thanks for the coffee.”

 

“Of course, Sheriff. You wantin’ breakfast too, or did you con poor Chrissy into making you some this morning?” Waverly asked, keeping her side pressed to Cole shoulder.

 

Cole tried to focus on the conversation, but the heat of Waverly’s body against her made that nearly impossible. Thankfully, Nedley responded and Waverly bantered back and a few moments later, Waverly retreated back to the bar. Cole immediately missed the warmth of Waverly pressed against her side but was relieved that she could now focus on the two men in front of her.

 

Not that she would want to, because both men were now smirking at her; Doc’s devious, and Nedley’s delighted. “Son, I think you may in real trouble there,” Nedley said, slyly.

 

Cole chocked out a, “Yeah, you think?” before taking a sip of her coffee, trying anything to hide the blush she was sure was riding up her face.

 

Doc laughed whole-heartedly at that, barely managing to say, “Don’t worry, kid. We’ll get you back from Dodge in one piece.”

 

Nedley grumbled slightly, saying, “Yeah, if we can get Bobo and his boys under control first. They’ll be coming for Waverly, so we need to be ready.”

 

Doc’s smile turned sly and he replied coyly, “Don’t you worry about that, Sheriff. I got a plan and it doesn’t even involve dynamite this time.”

 

~~~

 

Cole had to agree, Doc’s plan did seem pretty simple. They would proceed as if Bobo had in fact killed Wynonna, complete with a funeral. Doc hypothesized that Bobo wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation of getting to gloat over killing Wynonna. Combined that with the fact that Waverly would be at the gravesite, understandably distraught by the death of her sister, it would be the perfect way to lure Bobo out of hiding. The idea was for Doc to stay with Waverly, while Cole and Nedley waited to ambush the outlaw and whoever else showed up with him. It seemed like a solid plan, until it wasn’t.

 

Cole and Nedley hid in a stand of trees not far from where the show was about to begin, watching with baited breath. Doc and Waverly, and Gus and the man from Cole’s first night in town approached the open grave and grieved as two young men lowered the pine casket, that was half full of dirt, into the ground. That had been Cole’s idea, filling the casket with dirt, to make it seem more authentic. The two men started filling in the grave with dirt, as Waverly started to sing. Cole was instantly entranced, thinking back to the night before as those dulcet tones started drifting into her ears to capture her very soul. She’d never heard the song before, but it filled up Cole’s heart all the same.

 

The problem with being so distracted though, was that she didn’t realize that Bobo had in fact made an appearance. When she finally spotted him, he was already too close for her to do much of anything about it. “Shit,” Cole blurted, getting to her feet from where she had crouched beside a tree to wait.

 

Nedely had been watching the other direction, so he had no idea Bobo was there yet, either. He snapped his head around when Cole cursed, and said, “Shit, is right, son. Come on.” He immediately rose as well, only to fall over into Cole a second later.

 

Something wet hit the side of her face. She reached up and brushed her cheek only to bring her hand away wet with blood. She crumpled to the ground moments later as well. The last thing she heard before she blacked out was, “Yeah, bring the Peach too. We can have some fun while we wait.”

 

~~~

 

Waking up in strange places had never really bothered Cole. Sleeping on the trail, or in a rented bed, or sitting up in her saddle had never phased her, so waking up, sitting upright and tied to a chair shouldn’t have bothered her so much. But… when she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings she knew she was in deep trouble. The walls were roughly hewn rock and the floor was covered in piles of dirt and gravel. The room wasn’t large, but not small either. It smelled like stagnant water and mildew. The one saving grace was a stream of sunlight pouring in through a vent in the roof of the space. The light made it possible for Cole to make out some crucial details. There were chains and shackles hanging from one wall and a variety of wicked looking tools hanging on the other. She could see an exit dead head, but honestly there was no telling where it actually exited to.

 

A quiet whimper behind her made Cole aware to the fact that she wasn’t alone. She opened her mouth to speak only to find it so dry no words would come out. She swallowed hard against the burning in her throat and tried again, husking out, “W-Waverly, Is that you?” There was a relieved sigh behind her, and Cole’s anxiety subsided slightly as she quickly added, “Are you ok?”

 

There were a few moments of silence before she heard a barely audible gulp and a quiet, “Yeah, I think so.”

 

Cole leaned forward a little trying to see more of the room, the rope around her waist pulling tight. Waverly let a pained squeak behind her and she immediately sat up again. She thought about it for a second. There was no way Bobo would be stupid enough to tie them together, but she had to know. “Wave, lean forward, would ya?” she said quietly, turning her head towards Waverly and keeping her voice down so as to not alert their captors that they were both awake.

 

Waverly leaned forward, the chair she was in creaking just a bit against the floor and sure enough, the rope around Cole’s middle tightened. “Good,” she huffed, hoping Waverly would settle back against her seat. The pressure across her stomach abated immediately. “How are your arms tied?” she asked as she peered down the darkened exit, straining her eyes for more details.

 

Waverly squirmed a little, turning her head to whisper, “Together, and not well either.” Cole could, both, feel and hear Waverly wiggle within her bonds. After a few soft grunts of effort, Cole felt a hand brush the side of her face. It was a little awkward and Waverly’s hand was a little cold, but the contact felt so good. Cole couldn’t hold in the appreciative hum that followed Waverly’s touch. For the first time since waking up, Cole thought they might actually get free before Bobo and his gang had a chance to torture and almost certainly kill them both.

 

Cole knew they couldn’t afford to waste another moment, if they were going to make it out of this alive. She pressed her cheek into Waverly’s hand and quickly whispered, “Alright. Good. Now, when I give you the sig-“

 

A sharp shuffling sound came from somewhere close by and Cole clamped her mouth shut. She quickly allowed her head to dip forward again, sagging against the rope around her waist as well. Waverly seemed to understand the situation just as quickly, drooping her body against the other side of the rope. The sound of dragging footsteps grew louder and louder until they were surely coming from somewhere inside the small space with them. A rough hand fisted in Cole’s hair dragging her head back and she did her best not to wince at the pain. She purposefully fluttered her eyelids, allowing whoever was man-handling her to see that her eyes were rolled back in her head. The gripping fist in her hair released, and Cole allowed her head to flop forward, _hard_ , something pulling in the back of her neck as she tried to mimic dead weight. A gruff voice called out loudly beside her, “She’s still out.”

 

From much further away came a voice Cole recognized, yelling, “Well, wake her up. It won’t be nearly as fun to kill Waverly if she’s still knocked out.” Panic shot through Cole at those words. Bobo was going to kill Waverly and probably her too. The terror of having to watch Waverly die didn’t really get much of a chance to set in though, before the rope around her waist suddenly tightened to the point that she was sure her ribs were going to break. The unexpected movement didn’t shock her too badly though, because a moment later, the pressure disappeared just as suddenly.

 

A horrid choking sound followed immediately thereafter. There was more shuffling and then a slumping sound.

 

Cole couldn’t stay still any longer. She needed to know what had just happened. She quickly raised her head and tilted it around as best she could only to find Waverly Earp crouched over the still form of one of the outlaws, quickly roping him up as if he were a wayward calf out on the range. Cole watched as Waverly made very quick work of securing him before turning to her with a huge smirk on her face. Cole wanted to speak, but Bobo would undoubtedly be on them in a matter of moments and they needed to move.

 

Waverly seemed like she’d had the same thought and instantly moved to Cole’s side, undoing the ropes around her wrists. Cole quickly pushed the loose rope around her waist down and rose, moving immediately to the hog-tied outlaw. She pulled his six-shooter out of his holster and checked the ammo. Utterly relieved to find it full, she crept towards the mouth of the small room and waited quietly for any sign of movement. “Carl! What’s the hold-up?” came from not far down the tunnel leading out and Cole glanced back to find Waverly standing a few feet behind her, feet planted, shoulders square, with a woodsman’s axe slung up on one shoulder. She had a deviant grin on her face. Cole was surprised at how attractive Waverly looked, standing there brazenly ready to take on whatever was coming their way.

 

A plan quickly formed in Cole’s head. She slunk back into a rough little alcove near the tunnel opening to lie in wait. Not a minute later, she got to put her plan into immediate action. Bobo came barreling down the corridor, growling loudly when he spotted Waverly and her axe. He walked right past Cole’s hiding place, eyes fixed on Waverly in front of him. Cole smirked as she stepped out behind him, pulling the hammer back on the pistol just as she pressed it to the back of his neck. “Give me a reason, you piece of shit,” Cole growled as she dug the tip of the barrel into his skin. He stopped advancing on Waverly and in a heartbeat Waverly dropped the axe off her shoulder and clambered around the room gathering a couple bits of rope before moving to Bobo and tying his hands behind his back.

 

Cole was infinitely impressed with Waverly’s cool head under pressure. She watched as Waverly looped the rope around one wrist, pulling it tight before running the rope up and around the front of his throat. She then tied the other end around his other wrist. Then, she used another piece to secure his hands together. When she looked up and found Cole staring, Waverly smiled and said, “This isn’t my first rodeo, cowboy.”

 

Cole sputtered for a moment, catching the somewhat seductive glint in Waverly’s eyes. Bobo shifted in her grip and even though he was secured, her trigger finger still itched. She pushed the barrel harder against his neck, forcing him forward. Cole grabbed ahold of the rope that was looped around Bobo’s neck and he gagged against her grip. He tried to speak, most certainly some form of insult, but Cole simply jerked down on the rope and he gagged hard. She kept her grip on the rope firm but allowed him to breath for a second. When he didn’t try to speak again, Cole finally relaxed her grip on the trigger and said, “Now, we’re gonna march right out of here, Bobo, and if you move a single muscle I don’t want you to, know that this .41 will likely blow your head clean off. You understand me?”

 

Bobo’s head lolled forward once and then twice, and Cole took that to mean he would cooperate, at least for now. She fisted the rope at his wrists and pressed against his back, spinning herself and the outlaw around before moving down the tunnel, hopefully towards the exit. They entered the next room, and Cole assumed this is where the gang had been sleeping, especially if the half a dozen bedrolls sprawled out on the floor were any indication. She pressed on, moving quickly through the room to the only other exit on the other side, entering another tunnel.

 

A shot echoed its way back to them from somewhere ahead and Cole paused to listen. She thought she heard voices too but couldn’t be sure. There was no other way to go though, so they continued on. Cole took some small comfort in thinking that if they did run into more of Bobo’s gang on the way out, they would at least have Bobo to use as a human shield if shots were fired.

 

“Nonna, is that you?” Waverly hollered out behind her, so close that the loud shout caused Cole to recoil a little. She shot a look over her shoulder to Waverly, silently asking ‘What the hell?’ Waverly just smirked that sexy smile at her and slid past her in the narrow space of the tunnel. “I’d know that sound of that Colt Buntline anywhere, Cole. That’s my sister out there,” Waverly said as she pressed passed Bobo as well.

 

“Fuc-” crawled out of Bobo’s throat before Cole had a chance to yank back on the rope, choking off whatever insult that was about come out of his mouth.

 

She quickly pushed him forward, moving now at Waverly’s pace, which she had to admit made her a little nervous, because strictly speaking, Waverly wasn’t being at all cautious. It was obvious she was simply trusting that her sister was ahead, presumably there to rescue them. When they broke through into the next room, Cole was relieved to find Wynonna and Doc and Nedley standing over three subdued outlaws.

 

A quick count in her head had Cole blurting out, “There’s one more somewhere.” She dug the barrel of her stolen pistol into the back of Bobo’s neck, pulling him back towards her as well as she growled, “Where’s your other man, Bobo?”

 

He choked and struggled slightly against her hold before he growled, “August is already on his way to Dodge to tell Lou the Earp heirs are dead.” He chuckled dryly before he added, “Guess ol’ Aggie will be in for a world of hurt when Lou finds out that that’s not entirely true.”

 

Cole heard Wynonna chuckle from across the room at that. Wynonna shook her head as she made her way over to them, saying, “Well, too bad you won’t be around to see that then, huh?”

 

Bobo rasped against Cole’s hold on him and bristled as he said, “As much as I wish I could watch that little weasel die, begging for his life, I’d be much more satisfied watching Lou squeeze the life out of you and your sister here, instead.”

 

Cole wouldn’t let that stand and wrenched back on the rope. He choked against the pressure as she pushed him roughly towards the entrance, barking, “We’ll see how smart that mouth of yours is when you’re staring down the gallows, Bobo. Now, get moving.”

 

~~~

 

By the time they reached Purgatory proper, it was almost full dark out. Cole was sure they were quite the sight to behold too. She hadn’t let go of Bobo’s leash the whole way back. Doc had tied all the others together, chain gang style and lead them, with Wynonna and Waverly flanking the group on either side, and Nedley taking up the rear. They sullied right down the middle of the street on the way to the sheriff’s office, people coming to the windows of each building as they passed. Despite the late hour, some folks even came out to the street to watch their procession. Wynonna and Waverly peeled off from the group when Gus came barreling out of the saloon. Cole received an appreciative nod from Gus over Waverly’s shoulder as they embraced.

 

Not being a big place, the Purgatory sheriff’s office only had one cell. Cole dumped Bobo in first thing, not even bothering to untie him. Doc led the rest of the gang in and forced them all to sit on the floor against the back wall. It seemed to Cole that he was intent on interrogating the men, but all she could think about was her room back at the saloon. She’d had a headache since waking up in that damp mine, but now that the exhilarated tension of being kidnapped and held hostage had worn off, she felt like her head might actually split in two. She knew that she would need to sleep and soon, so once she was sure the door to the single cell was secured, she approached Nedley. He glanced over as she approached, and she greeted him, saying, “ So, Sheriff, what’s the plan?”

 

“Well, Doc and I are gonna spend the next several hours figurin’ out who’s complicit in what, so we know who to charge with what, and you are gonna go get some sleep,” Nedley said, matter-of-factly.

 

His tone didn’t leave much room for argument, not that Cole wanted to, so she didn’t, simply replying, “Thanks, Sheriff. I think I could use the night off.”

 

The sheriff chuckled and said, “You earned it, son. Now, go on.”

 

~~~

 

Cole actually managed to get her boots off before collapsing onto the bed this time. She was tired that was for sure, but her mind was still spinning with the events of the day. She wasn’t even really sure what day it was; had she been unconscious only a few hours or had she been out for much longer. She put that aside though, because while it was distressing to not know whether it was Monday or Tuesday, she had much bigger things to worry about.

 

Waverly knew the truth, and there would be no getting around it. Cole knew that Waverly was awake and listening, probably just as intently as she had been, when Carl had said, ‘She’s still out,’ and Cole also knew that Waverly was smart enough to put together the blaringly obvious context clues to form the only logical conclusion. That despite her outwards appearance, Cole was a woman. Cole wished they could simply skip past the awkward rejection that was sure to happen the next time she saw Waverly. She didn’t want to see that look in Waverly’s eyes; all hurt and betrayed, or maybe worst of all, a look of disgust. Cole closed her eyes, hoping to blacken out that image from her imagination, but it was no use. The more she thought about it, the worse and worse she felt.

 

Cole rolled on to her front and buried her head in a pillow to keep herself from screaming. It wasn’t fair. Here she was, trying to get her life on track, and the universe just wouldn’t let her have it. Her only hope was that Waverly hadn’t told anyone yet, because if she had there’d be no way Cole would be able to stay in Purgatory after word got around. She knew it would be hard to stay in town around Waverly, surrounded by the ‘what if’s’ and ‘could’ve been’s.’ If only she had been able to explain things to Waverly before being outed so suddenly. She was sure that Waverly would have still felt betrayed and lied to, and while that was the truth, Cole had hoped to tell Waverly her story and then see where the chips fell.

 

Cole was so wrapped up in her wallowing that she didn’t notice the presence in the room until the bed dipped beside her and a firm hand pressed down on her shoulder. She wanted to flinch away, wanted to lash out, but when the intruder spoke she was certain she must be dreaming. “Cole, it’s ok, you’re safe… we’re safe, now,” came from beside her head; all breathy whisper and sweet undertones, and Cole melted into the touch. If she was dreaming she never wanted to wake up, as Waverly added kindly, “It’s ok. We’re ok.”

 

Cole rolled towards Waverly so she could look at her. Waverly’s eyes fixed on her own and Cole knew instantaneously that they really were ok. Waverly’s expression was open and unguarded, a sweet smile stretching across her lips. Cole smiled in return, reaching up before she could stop herself and cupping Waverly’s cheek with her hand. Waverly pressed into the touch and Cole’s heart swelled. ‘This can’t be real. It’s too perfect,’ she thought as she began gently stroking her fingertips in delicate line between Waverly’s ear and her jaw, unable to stop herself even if it was just an illusion. Waverly hummed appreciatively and placed her hand over Cole’s own on her cheek, holding it there.

 

Their eyes fixed on each other’s again, and Cole knew she needed to say something, but the only thing she could think to say was, ‘I’m sorry.’ While accurate, it didn’t seem like it was anywhere near enough to express how terrible she felt for having lied to Waverly. She ultimately decided it was a good place to start though; she owed Waverly that much. She pushed her thumb across the top of Waverly’s cheekbone to make sure Waverly was paying attention as she said, “I’m sorry, Waverly.”

 

Waverly’s smile turned a little sad and Cole was sure she had ruined the moment. Waverly stuttered a little when she finally replied, “It-It’s ok, Cole. I-I understand why you didn’t tell me outright, but I… You see, I have a little confession to make myself.” She paused, and Cole held her breath, as Waverly added, “I’ve known since last night, when we danced… I- well, let’s just say I noticed how well developed your chest muscles are, and when I combined that with a few other things I noticed about you, I kinda figured it out.”

 

Cole released her breath in a huffed cough, sputtering, “Uh-Wha-What other things you noticed?”

 

Waverly smile turned a little coy as she explained, “Well, your baby smooth face was my first hint and I also noticed you don’t have much of a Pomum Adami, so that was pretty much a dead giveaway.”

 

Cole wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but Waverly brought her free hand up to the back of Cole’s neck, drawing them together and Cole could barely control herself. She slid her own hand behind Waverly’s head and forced their foreheads together to keep herself from kissing Waverly, mostly because she was certain she’d never want to stop. She couldn’t help but chuckle into the little bit of air that was between them though, saying “Pom-uh, what now?”

 

Waverly just smiled, a little twinkle in her eye as she elaborated, “Your Pomun Adami or Adam’s apple should be right here.” Waverly’s thumb slid around the front of Cole’s neck to trace the slight curve of her throat, and a shiver rolled down Cole’s spine at the tender gesture.

 

“How’d you know that, huh?” Cole blurted, slightly embarrassed at her surprised tone.

 

Waverly didn’t become incredulous, as Cole expected. She only smiled harder and replied, “Well, I read a lot. There’s this trader that comes through once a month or so, and last time he came through he brought me an anatomy book.”

 

“Oh,” Cole said, quieter, but still surprised. “I, uh, I can’t read. My father tried to teach me, but I never got any good at it,” she admitted, even quieter, now deeply embarrassed, but also a little sad too. She hadn’t thought of her father in a while, and those particular memories weren’t pleasant ones. She and her father had argued quite a few times over her apathy about reading. He had always said that good little girls learned to read and write and sew and cook and clean, and that Cole should be a good girl. She had always been too interested in learning how their cotton gin worked, or how to care for the horses, or some other useful, technical thing, to care much about learning how to keep house. It was something she still regretted.

 

Cole was broken out of her memories though, as Waverly murmured, “Well, we could fix that, you know. I could try to teach you, if you wanted.”

 

 It was probably one of the sweetest things anyone had ever said to Cole. No one had ever taken such an interest in her, other than her father and her nanny, both of which had left her life rather abruptly, and suddenly Cole felt guilty all over again. She knew she didn’t need to, but she wanted to say it again, whispering, “Waverly, I’m sorry… so sorry I didn’t just tell you the truth from the start.”

 

Waverly pushed forward just a little, her lips just brushing Cole’s as she replied, “I’m sorry, too.”

 

Cole couldn’t stop the dry chuckle those words provoked. She couldn’t even imagine what Waverly could have to be sorry about. “You don’t have to be sorry, Waverly. You have nothing to be sorry for,” Cole replied sullenly, head tipping down to bring their lips further apart. A fresh wave of guilt rolled over Cole and she felt like she couldn’t stand to look Waverly in the eye anymore.

 

“But, I do,” Waverly blurted, slumping down slightly so she could reconnect their eye contact before she added, “I’m sorry for slapping you. I knew, I knew you had a lot on your mind and I got upset anyway. I shouldn’t have slapped you. I shouldn’t have taken my frustrations out on you.”

 

“Oh, Waverly,” Cole cooed, moving to embrace both sides of Waverly’s face with her hands. “You don’t have to worry about that anymore,” she added and as she watched, relief spread over Waverly’s features. Cole did the only thing that seemed natural from there, pulling Waverly back down until their lips met.

 

The kiss began as just a simple pressing of their lips together, but when Waverly exhaled heavily against her mouth, Cole realized instantly she had been right before. She was kissing Waverly and she never wanted to stop, ever. She pulled Waverly down beside her in the bed, moving so one hand was still holding Waverly’s lips to her own, while the other moved down to press against Waverly’s back. Cole was amazed at how Waverly appeared to melt into their embrace; her muscles seeming to relax all at once. Just as Cole was about to move to deepen the kiss though, Waverly’s mouth opened suddenly against her own. Cole couldn’t help but to pull back just a little as Waverly pulled in a gasping yawn.

 

Cole simply chuckled into Waverly’s open mouth and joked, “Well, I had no idea kissing me was so boring. I guess I’ll have to put in some practice if I’m gonna get good enough to hold your attention.”

 

Waverly playfully slapped Cole’s shoulder and snootily replied, “Well, I was actually awake for most the day, unlike some people I might name.”

 

Cole scoffed in mock offense and was ready to make a show of the goose-egg on the back of her head, but Waverly cut her off by pressing her lips to Cole’s cheek and whispering, “And if anything, I’m the one who needs the practice. You’re an excellent kisser, Cole.”

 

The whispered words combined with Waverly’s hot breath on her face had Cole practically salivating for more of Waverly’s mouth, but she wanted, no… needed, Waverly to know more. She needed Waverly to know where she came from, hoping it would help her understand who she had become. “M-my given name was Nicole, Nicole Elizabeth Haught,” Cole whispered into the air between them.

 

“Nicole,” Waverly whispered as well, seemingly testing the feel of the name coming from her lips. Cole could feel Waverly’s smile against her cheek as the younger woman said it again, “You are an excellent kisser, Nicole.”

 

Cole couldn’t help but wince slightly at the name though. It had been so very long since anyone had called her that, since she’d let anyone in enough to know; not since Shannon. Cole thought back to the look in Shannon’s eyes that night. It wasn’t one of love or adoration, it was more excited and experimental. Even if Shannon’s father hadn’t walked in on them, Cole hadn’t thought that they would have lasted. Those memories hurt, not because Cole had been in love or anything, but because all those people had hated her just for being different.

 

Being with Waverly felt different too though. It was like Waverly wanted to know her for who she was, not for the adventure she represented. Waverly was nothing like Shae, in any fashion actually and maybe that’s what made what they had begun all the more special. Cole had wanted Waverly to know more about her and she wanted to continue that by being as honest with Waverly from then on. She needed to tell Waverly how she felt about herself and about who she was, she just hoped that Waverly wouldn’t make her explain it all because she wasn’t sure she could yet. Cole took in a gulping breath before she said, “I-I haven’t gone by that name in a long time, Waverly. I’m Cole now, if, if that’s alright by you.”

 

“Oh,” came Waverly’s almost startled response, before she seemed to recover herself, quickly adding, “Of course, Cole. I-I’m glad you told me though. I wanna know everything about you, if you’ll let me.”

 

Cole did want to tell her everything, about how she felt about herself and the cards she had been dealt, but she hesitated. She knew Waverly was tired and admittedly Cole was as well, and she knew that she wouldn’t be able to get the words right if she tried to explain it all in that moment. She decided to wait, that there would be a time when she could explain everything, right down to the last detail. If Cole had her way about it, she and Waverly would have a very long time to talk and kiss and maybe even more too.

 

Cole did not hesitate to pull back slightly, repositioning herself, so she could press their lips together again. This time when she moved to deepen it, slipping her tongue out and tracing it over Waverly’s bottom lip, Waverly’s mouth fell open, eagerly accepting the change of pace. Cole hummed into Waverly’s mouth as their tongues tangled and danced together, but she wasn’t surprised when Waverly pulled away to yawn yet again.

 

“God, I’m sorry. I’m ruining this,” Waverly said sleepily as she brought a hand up to cover her gaping mouth.

 

Cole chuckled again and replied easily, “Not possible, Wave. Now, how about we get you ready for bed, huh?” Waverly’s eyes bugged a little at the suggestion and it only made Cole laugh harder. When she caught Waverly’s sour expression, she did her very best to compose herself enough to explain, finally saying, “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to, but I’d like it very much if you did. I’d very much like to just sleep with you.”

 

Waverly visibly calmed herself, and smiled big and wide as she said, “I- I think I’d like that as well.”

 

Cole shifted so she could stand, delicately pulling Waverly into a standing position as well. She looked down at Waverly and whispered, “I-is it ok if I?...” Her voice trailed off as her fingers brushed the sides of Waverly’s bustier. She wanted to make Waverly as comfortable as possible and knew that Waverly would never be able to sleep comfortably in such a restrictive garment. Waverly simply nodded and slowly spun herself in Cole’s arms.

 

Cole’s breath hitched as she began undoing the laces in the back, slowly pulling each section of cord loose until the tight piece of clothing seemed to merely fall off Waverly’s slender frame. She had to pause; had to take a second to get control over herself, before she leaned down and placed one sweet kiss to the side of Waverly’s neck.

 

When Waverly’s dress quickly followed the bustier to the floor, Cole nearly forgot herself. She gasped when Waverly spun in her arms again. Her dress had been a modest one and had covered a considerable amount of skin that her chemise did not. All that silky, smooth skin was begging for Cole to reach out and touch, but instead she forced her eyes back up to meet Waverly’s gaze. She sighed as Waverly bridged the gap between them instead, reaching out across the space and beginning to work open the buttons of Cole’s flannel. Cole watched Waverly’s confidence grow with the opening of each button and wasn’t surprised when Waverly slid her hands up over her shoulders, taking the button-down shirt with her. “Wav- I-” Cole tried, but ultimately failed to speak, because Waverly’s hands had already fallen to her belt buckle, and the words simply stopped in her throat. Waverly made quick work of the buckle as well as the buttons of her fly, before Cole’s pants followed the rest of their clothes to the floor.

 

Cole felt truly ridiculous standing there in her long shorts, undershirt and socks, but somehow with just a simple knowing smile Waverly made her feel at ease again. She sucked in a sharp breath when Waverly’s hands pushed up under the back of her undershirt. It was strange, but it seemed to Cole that Waverly knew exactly what she was doing as she found the tucked spot that held the binding in place around her chest. Cole wanted to ask how Waverly knew about the binding and how she knew how to release it but when seemingly expert fingers danced across the binding, quickly unwrapping it, she couldn’t bring herself to care. She released an utterly relieved sigh when the binding finally fell away. She matched Waverly’s gaze as it landed on the floor in the pile with everything else.

 

Waverly’s hands drifted over Cole’s sides, coming to rest on her hips, sending a delightful little shiver up Cole’s spine. Cole thought it would be so easy to just give in and kiss Waverly again, but she knew that with their current state of undress and the heightened emotions of the day, one kiss could lead to much more in an instant. They weren’t ready for more and Cole knew she couldn’t let them get swept up in the excitement of the day. Waverly being there meant a lot, but the last thing Cole wanted was for Waverly to end up regretting anything that happened between them. She figured a hug wouldn’t be too out of the question though, because either way she’d be cuddling up with Waverly in another minute anyway. Cole could see some question dancing behind Waverly’s eyes, but before Waverly got the chance to ask it, Cole opened her arms wide and asked her own question instead, “Can I, can I hug you?”

 

It seemed that was just the right thing to say, because Waverly moved lightning fast as she pressed their bodies together, hugging Cole tighter than anyone else ever had. Cole felt so warm and happy, quickly realizing how easy it would be to get addicted to the feeling. She shuffled a little back towards the bed and said, “You ready for sleep, Wave?”

 

“God, yes,” Waverly replied as she buried her face further into Cole’s neck. Cole recognized that Waverly was blushing a little, probably from her enthusiastic reply, but she couldn’t find it anything but adorable.

 

Cole shuffled a little more, and brought them down into the bed together, only releasing Waverly for a couple of seconds before Waverly settled into her arms again. Cole couldn’t contain her smile when Waverly huffed loudly, turning in their embrace to push her back flush against Cole’s chest. Cole sighed as she slid her arm over Waverly’s waist, moving her hand up to rest on Waverly’s ribcage, just below her breast. Cole didn’t push it, didn’t want the gesture to turn any more sexual than it already was; she only wanted to be able to hold Waverly to her chest as tightly as possible.

 

Waverly instantly relaxed into the touch though, and Cole could feel it when all the tension drained from Waverly’s body. She didn’t want to believe it because getting her hopes up had hurt her in the past, but as they snuggled together, Cole easily noticed how perfectly Waverly fit against her, like they were made to be a matching set.

 

After only a minute or two, Waverly’s breath began to even out, and Cole knew she would be asleep in a matter of moments. She nuzzled up against the back of Waverly’s head and whispered, “Goodnight, Waverly.”

 

Cole couldn’t have been happier to hear a sleepy, “Goodnight, Cole,” in return.

 

~~~

 

Waking up to an empty bed had not been in Cole’s plans when she had gone to sleep the night before. She had hoped that Waverly would still be snuggled up against her, sharing her bed and her warmth. She couldn’t bring herself to blame Waverly for leaving though. They’d had a fairly intense conversation the night before and even though Cole was fairly certain Waverly had stayed through the night, she was sure that Waverly needed some time to process everything. Hell, Cole herself needed some time to process. She stretched out in the bed, and took a few deep breaths, trying to mentally prepare herself for the day. There were plenty of things to occupy her thoughts, her situation with Waverly notwithstanding. There was Bobo and his gang, and their impending trial and probable execution and she suspected when she got to the Sheriff’s office she would find at least two grumpy, tired men waiting for her. ‘Surely, they weren’t up all night,’ Cole thought with a sigh.

 

Deciding to just bite the bullet, Cole rose and moved to get dressed, only to realize that her clothes from the day before would probably not be suitable for another day. She made a mental note to head to Gray’s at her next opportunity and buy another set, or maybe two. She donned her clean clothes and bundled up the dirty ones, intent on asking Waverly where she could wash them herself this time. She didn’t want her need for clean clothes to make things awkward between them. It seemed like a trivial thing, honestly, but Cole didn’t want to make any assumptions about how their relationship would progress. She certainly didn’t want Waverly to think that she was trying to take advantage of their situation.

 

She glanced in the mirror as she splashed some cool water over her face at the wash stand. She didn’t want to face reality, didn’t want to go back to hiding in plain sight, but that thought seemed a little less daunting though, when she thought that she’d at least get to see Waverly again and soon if she hurried. She hitched her pants up a bit, squaring her belt buckle. She could tell from the slight chill in the room that fall was rapidly fading to winter, so she threw her new long coat over her arm to help fight off the wind. She grabbed her Stetson, too, knowing it always made her feel more confidant and at ease when she wore it.

 

When she got to the bottom of the stairs, her whole world lit up. There was Waverly, flitting between the few occupied tables, delivering plates of food and mugs of coffee all around. It was entrancing watching Waverly work, dodging in between the tables with arms loaded with plates and mugs, not spilling a thing. Cole realized she could simply stand and watch Waverly all day. A voice at her side broke her from her revelry though, “See something you like?”

 

Cole spun around to find Gus standing at her elbow, arms crossed with a gruff look on her already grizzled face. “Yes, ma’am… I- mea- n- no, no ma’am. I was just-” Cole tried to explain, only earning herself an even more sour look from Gus.

 

“Well, which is it, son? Are you interested in my niece, or not?” Gus pressed, fixing Cole with an expectant look.

 

Cole took in a deep breath, as she tried to calm her nerves. She steeled herself in the face of the stern bar-matron and said, “I am, ma’am. I am interested in courting your niece.”

 

Gus’ sudden bellowing laugh took Cole by surprise, but she didn’t continue, choosing to wait and see what prompted such a reaction from the older woman. She didn’t have to wait long either, Gus’ face warming as she said, “Cole, you don’t have to be so formal. Do you like Waverly?”

 

Cole looked down sheepishly and replied, “Yes, Gus, I do. Very much so.”

 

“Good,” Gus said, reaching out to place a hand on Cole’s arm. When Cole looked up to meet Gus’ eyes again, the bar-matron added, “You’re a sight better than the last boy to come calling. He always looked at Waverly like she was some prize to be won, but she’s much more than that and you, you seem to understand that.” Cole nodded, whole-heartedly agreeing. Waverly was so much more than just a trophy. Gus seemed to be hesitating on the edge of something else, so Cole merely waited for her to continue. “I would like to say though, you get her pregnant before you marry her, and I won’t stop Wynonna when she comes from you,” Gus finally said, and to Cole it felt like a slap in the face.

 

Not only did Gus’ words shock her, but they hurt too, because Cole knew that that would never, could never, happen. She wondered, not for the first time, how her life would have been different if she had just been born a man in the first place. She didn’t allow herself to dwell on something she couldn’t change though and forced herself to reply. “I can assure you ma’am that won’t happen. In the interest of honesty, I will say that Waverly did spend last night in my room, but believe me when I say, I am nothing if not a gentleman,” Cole stated, wary but still somewhat confident in her response.

 

Cole could tell Gus was studying her, and for a moment Cole was worried she had said something to give herself away. She ran back over her words in her head and quickly concluded that she had been just vague enough to ride the edge of lying, and sadly, most of the time, that was the best she could ask for. Gus seemed to consider her for a moment longer before she clapped Cole on the shoulder, saying, “You seem like a good kid, so I won’t give you a hard time again, but my warning for Wynonna stands. She’s awful protective of her baby sister, especially now that Willa’s gone.”

 

Cole wanted to ask Gus what she meant by that. ‘Is she gone? Or ‘ _gone?_ ’ Cole thought, opening her mouth to ask, before slamming it closed as she spotted Waverly approaching behind Gus. Cole drove the negative thoughts from her mind as Waverly glided up to her and slid an arm around her waist. Cole knew she was blushing at the contact, especially because Gus was watching them, but when Waverly’s hand squeezed at her side, she instinctually wrapped her arm around Waverly’s shoulder. She could barely control herself when Waverly pressed up on her toes and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek, stifling a squeak at Waverly’s forwardness. Gus was still looking on and Cole knew she should say something or find some way to extract herself from the embrace, but she just couldn’t bring herself up to the task. Luckily, Waverly seemed to sense her unease and turned her attention towards Gus, saying, “Gus, are you trying to scare Cole away already?”

 

Cole instantly felt relieved that Waverly was steering conversation in a playful direction and replied easily, “Not at all, Waverly. Gus was actually warning me about your sister. She seems to think Wynonna is going run me off for sure.”

 

When Waverly looked back at her and said, “You better not let her. I’d hate to have to chase you down,” Cole felt that same warmth from the night before begin to fill her up again. Waverly wasn’t going to let her go without a fight and Cole gave Waverly’s shoulder an affectionate, and reassuring, squeeze, before pressing her lips to the top of Waverly’s head.

 

Gus cleared her throat, interrupting their moment a little and said, “Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you, son.” Cole could hear her chuckling all the way back to the bar.

 

Waverly’s voice drew her back, whispering, “Good morning, Cole.”

 

Cole smiled so wide her cheeks hurt. She had been a little nervous about being alone with Waverly again, but Waverly’s easy-going nature put her at ease as well. “Good morning, Waverly. I trust you slept well,” she said, bringing her free hand up to brush a stay hair of Waverly’s forehead.

 

Waverly looked up at her like she had just said something incredibly dirty, and for a moment Cole thought she had done or said something in her sleep to offend Waverly. She’d had a problem with talking in her sleep when she was a child and she hoped she hadn’t made a complete fool out of herself and not even know it. Her fears were pushed aside a moment later, when Waverly pressed up on her tip toes, bringing her lips directly up against her ear as she whispered, “I slept very well, thank you. But, I must say your hands wandered a bit in your sleep. When I woke up I was more than a little… stirred, if you catch my meaning. I had to slink off to the storage room to calm down before coming down to work.”

 

Cole knew her face was flushed, and her breathing was becoming more than a bit erratic. Her imagination ran wild at those words, immediately imaging exactly how Waverly had managed to calm herself down. She shook her head, desperate to distract herself from following that line of thinking. “I wondered why I woke up alone. I hope I didn’t cross any lines last night,” Cole responded, apologetically, attempting to steer the conversation away from what Waverly had done in the saloon’s storage room.

 

Cole should have realized she was setting herself up there too, because when Waverly replied her jaw dropped. “Oh, you didn’t, but it was all I could do to not wake you up this morning and drag you over those lines kicking and screaming,” Waverly said, all seductive eyes and cheeky grin.

 

Cole almost swallowed her own tongue at that visual, knowing just exactly what Waverly meant by that.

 

Gus’ voice came from across the room just then, calling out, “Waverly, I’m sure Deputy Haught has better things to do than make eyes at you all morning.”

 

Waverly had the decency to look sheepish and Cole couldn’t help but find the flip endearing. She brought her lips to the top of Waverly’s head again, and whispered, “You should get back to work while you still can. Much more talk like that and I’m not sure I’ll be able to walk out of here.”

 

Cole quickly realized she was merely stepping in it left and right, when Waverly groaned and said, “Now, that’s something I’d like to see.”

 

Scoffing lightly, Cole hurried to respond, saying, “God, Waverly. Go on, now, before Gus comes back over here. I’ll be at the Sheriff’s office all day probably, but I’ll stop back by later, alright?”

 

Waverly looked up at Cole like she had something more she wanted to say, but instead all that came out was, “Ok. Just be safe, will ya?”

 

“Will do, Wave. I’ll see you later,” Cole replied before pressing one last kiss to Waverly’s forehead, before she moved towards the exit.

 

~~~

 

Cole had but one regret for the morning so far; not getting a cup of coffee in her before walking into the Sheriff’s office. As she had predicted, Nedley and Doc were both in rare form, all bleary-eyed stares and loud grumblings. Cole thought for a moment about going back to the saloon and getting a coffee for all three of them, but she wasn’t even sure that would help. She noticed that two of the four outlaws that had been brought in with the group of thugs were gone. She assumed they had been found ‘not-innocent,’ but also ‘not-guilty’ by Nedley and Doc and had been released. Cole noticed that the man named Carl was one of the ones released and she sighed in relief. She had been a little worried about seeing him again, ever vigilant of keeping her secret.

 

“Good, now that you’re here we can go get some sleep,” Nedley said, joints creaking and popping as he got up from his seat. Cole thought the Sheriff looked like he could use more than just some sleep but before she could comment about it, the Sheriff continued, “Just keep an eye on ole’ Bobo here while he waits for the county magistrate to show up. We wired him last night and he should be here sometime this afternoon. All you gotta do, son, is make sure he doesn’t kill himself before then.”

 

Cole gave Nedley a surprised look as she replied, “Sir, do you think he might actually try something like that?”

 

Nedley simply shrugged and said, “He’s probably going to hell either way, but I’d rather he actually paid for his crimes, if it’s all the same to you, Haught.”

 

“Yes, sir,” came out of Cole’s mouth on instinct. She could tell there was some pain hiding behind Nedley’s calm demeanor, and she was certainly smart enough to not push on a man who’d been awake as long as the Sheriff had.

 

Doc piped up then, his voice rough and his tone sharp, “We’ll be back in a couple hours, kid. Just relax, he doesn’t have anything in there to hurt himself with, so as long as you don’t give him anything, you’ll be fine. Now, you need anything before we abandon you?”

 

To be honest when Doc spoke it almost startled Cole to realize he was still there. She had been watching Nedley so closely she had pretty much forgotten about Doc. She didn’t let her surprise show though, barely clenching her fist to help her focus on what he was saying. She couldn’t understand her sudden unease with Doc, but something about him had seemed to change overnight. Upon seeing Doc’s face though, she instantly understood. Doc was dead on his feet. He looked like he needed much, much more than just a couple hours sleep, but that small selfish part of Cole was still sort of desperate for that cup of coffee. She couldn’t help herself from asking, “You’re staying at Shorty’s, right?” Doc nodded, giving Cole an expectant look, waiting for Cole to make her point. She quickly got to it, adding, “Would you mind asking Waverly to bring me a cup of coffee when she gets a minute? I’m afraid I was in such a rush to get back here I forgot to get some before coming over.”

 

Doc’s eyes squinted up, like he was studying Cole, trying to figure out what part of what she was saying was a lie. He was reading her, like a gambler would read an opponent, and Cole tried hard to keep herself still, simply holding his gaze, trying to match him will for will. After another tense moment, a cheeky grin slowly spread over his face. Cole didn’t care for his Cheshire-cat smile any more than his squinty eyes, but at least he seemed amused by her enough to smile instead of simply baring his teeth. When Doc finally spoke, Cole was certain she was about to land in a heap of trouble, “Deputy Haught, is that all you’ll be wanting from Miss Waverly Earp?”

 

‘Yep… Heap. Of. Trouble,’ Cole thought as Doc’s smile turned boastful. She glanced over his shoulder at Nedley and quickly realized she’d get no help from him in this interrogation. She fixed her eyes back on Doc’s and in the most even tone she could muster she said, “I’m not sure what you are insinuating, Doc, but I do know I don’t like it. And not that it’s any of your business, but I’ll have you know, I have nothing but honorable intentions when it comes to Waverly Earp.”

 

Doc’s eyes scrunched once more, and Cole wondered this time if he was actually trying to read her mind or something. She wouldn’t buckle under the pressure of his stare though, simply staring back into his eyes like he wasn’t looking right into her soul.

 

Nedley cleared his throat, and all of the sudden the tension was broken. Doc immediately clapped Cole on the shoulder and said, “That’s good to hear, kid. Waverly’s-- she’s special, always has been and she needs someone who’ll treat her that way.” The tension that had risen in Cole’s shoulders eased slightly and Doc gave her a brief squeeze before he withdrew his hand. Cole watched as both he and Nedley began to make their way towards the door. Doc only turned back long enough to add, “Watch out for Wynonna though, she’s gonna be pissed when she realizes you slept with her sister.”

 

Before Cole could ask Doc what he knew about it, they were both gone. For the briefest of moments, Cole thought maybe Doc really had read her mind.

 

~~~

 

Within the hour, Cole was bored to the edge of her sanity. She had assumed that part of being a Deputy meant her fair share of menial tasks, but babysitting the prisoners was the worst. She wished she’d asked Doc to have Waverly bring her that coffee sooner rather than later. She didn’t want to let her mind wander too far either, because Cole sure that the moment she drifted off into some sweet daydream about Waverly or allowed herself to become engrossed in anything, that would be the moment when Bobo or one of the other two outlaws would make a scene, trying to escape or worse.

 

She adjusted herself in her seat for what felt like the hundredth time and finally decided that she simply couldn’t sit still anymore. Deciding it wouldn’t be a good idea to pace either, she settled on the floor, intent on doing some curl-ups or maybe some floor-dips to pass the time. During her time as a ranch-hand in Blackwell, another one of the hands had suggested a little exercise in the mornings to get the blood flowing. While exercising wasn’t something she had taken up doing every day, she had to admit that the rhythm and exertion helped her calm down. Unfortunately, the movement also seemed to draw an audience as well.

 

“Hmmm, this is a good angle for you, Deputy. Very slimming,” Bobo hummed from his cell.

 

Cole quickly realized she had settled onto the floor with the opening of her hips pointing right at Bobo’s cell. She shuffled to solve that and grumbled, “You’ll be smart to shut your mouth… before I shut it for you.”

 

Cole didn’t wait for any kind of reply, simply resigned herself back to the rhythm; curl-up, lie back, curl-up, lie back, repeat ad nauseum. Before she knew it though, her stomach muscles were straining and groaning as she continued to try to pull herself up again and again. She paused for just a moment, quickly realizing she was completely out of breath. Obviously unable to continue, she flopped back onto the floor, chest heaving, only to find a pair of darkened hazel eyes staring down at her.

 

Cole gasped for air, struggling to roll over and get herself up out of the floor. She was panicked at the thought of being caught unawares by anyone, especially because she was supposed to be watching Bobo and his remaining gang members. When she finally got to her feet though, all her fears drained away. It was Waverly, a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and a plate piled high with food in the other. She looked down sheepishly, but still smiled wide at Waverly’s offerings. She choked a little when she tried to speak and forced down a swallow against the dryness in her throat. Waverly simply smiled at her and tipped the coffee towards her, an unspoken gesture for Cole to take the mug. She did and took a small soothing sip. It was hot, but not hot enough to burn and the warmth felt better than she expected as it made its way down.

 

“Thanks,” Cole managed to croak out. She smiled when Waverly offered for her to take the plate as well. Cole’s mouth watered at the bacon and eggs and toast. Cole quickly noticed that it was, actually, an awful lot of toast for just her. It was easily most of a loaf of bread, and for a moment Cole was confused. Her muddled mind didn’t stop her from taking the plate from Waverly though, and a moment later, Waverly grabbed all but two slices of the toast and began distributing it amongst the prisoners. The two thugs seemed grateful for the food, one of them even going so far as to say so aloud, but Bobo was much less appreciative.

 

“How come she gets bacon and eggs? I’m the one whose probably gonna die today,” Bobo spat as Waverly threw a couple of pieces of bread into his cell. Waverly squeaked and fell back from the bars when he lunged forward a moment later.

 

Cole was quick in getting to her pistol, but Waverly’s mouth was faster, as she spat back, “All the more reason not to waste the food. Only reason you’re getting the bread to begin with is because Doc said if we didn’t feed you we’d be just a cruel as you are, and I couldn’t stand for that. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna bring you anything more than something to simply shut you up.”

 

Cole relaxed slightly when Bobo didn’t advance on the bars again and relaxed even further when Waverly stepped away to come back over by the desk. When she was fully out of reach of the cell, Cole turned her attention to the food Waverly had brought her. It was exactly what she needed without even realizing it. She glanced back up at Waverly and found a sweet little smile waiting for her. She looked back at the food and said, “Thank you for bringing me breakfast, Waverly. I guess I didn’t realize how hungry I was ‘til you showed up.”

 

Waverly’s eyes lit up and Cole almost slapped herself. Everything that was coming out of her mouth, at least as far as Waverly was concerned, was coming out all wrong. She wasn’t trying to make lewd jokes, but something about the little spitfire in front of her was bringing out a bit wild in streak in Cole as well. Her fingers twitched with the urge to reach out and pull Waverly in for a kiss. She bit her bottom lip instead, and looked down again, slightly ashamed of near loss of self-control.

 

Waverly’s hand brushing her cheek was somewhat reassuring, giving Cole enough courage to look up into Waverly’s eyes again. She could see the brilliant shine of amusement there. Waverly’s easy-going nature went a long way towards easing her anxiety. “You don’t have to be embarrassed, Cole. I know what you meant, but that doesn’t mean that part of me wishes you had meant that a totally different way,” Waverly whispered as she drew close, resting a hip against the side of the Sheriff’s desk.

 

Cole wasn’t sure when she had slunk back down into her chair, but the new angle it provided her of Waverly certainly was appealing. She looked up into Waverly’s eyes and knew she would never get over the way Waverly looked at her. The look only amplified the fluttering of Cole’s heart because she quickly realized that Waverly was already falling for her. That awareness only seemed to make her feel even more desire to reach out and touch Waverly. She decided to make a compromise, only moving to brush her fingers over Waverly’s hand. When slender fingers wrapped themselves around her own and squeezed, Cole knew they were both just as overwhelmed by their feelings.

 

Waverly was first to break the silence that enveloped them, saying, “You might wanna eat that before it’s gone completely cold. Nothing worse than cold eggs.”

 

Cole glanced down at the plate and decided to simply tuck in and finish the plate quickly so when Waverly went back to Shorty’s she could take the dish with her. She shoveled in each bite, only looking up a couple of times to see Waverly’s amused smile again. Apparently, Cole was funny, and she didn’t even know it. She soaked up the last of the egg’s over-easy yolk with the last of her toast. She had saved a bite of bacon too, throwing that on top of the bit of toast before popping it into her mouth. She smiled as she chewed, savoring the last of the homecooked meal.

 

Cole wasn’t happy about what was coming next though, because when Waverly opened her mouth to speak again there was a sadness there Cole wanted to kiss away. “Ok, well I guess I should get back to the bar. I’m sure Gus is probably wondering where I am by now,” Waverly finally said, almost too quietly for Cole to hear.

 

Obviously, Waverly wanted to stay in their intimate little bubble a moment or two longer before she had to go back, and Cole was more than happy to join her. She slid her hand up onto Waverly’s arm, rubbing little nonsense patterns over Waverly’s skin with her thumb. “I want you to stay, you know. I almost thought I would go mad from boredom before you showed up,” Cole admitted, gripping Waverly’s arm a little and pulling, hoping Waverly would take the hint. Waverly did and then some, sliding off her perch on the side of the desk and sliding right into Cole’s lap.

 

Cole couldn’t stop her body from reacting to their closeness, breath hitching, nerves trembling as Waverly squirmed a little in her lap. “Wave,” Cole gasped when she felt one of Waverly’s hands snake around the back of her neck. She didn’t have it in her to protest Waverly’s movement after that, not with the way Waverly’s expression had transformed; simply sweet and teasing became all heat and desire, at the drop of a dime. When Waverly rushed forward Cole had no choice but to give herself over to the feelings stirring inside her, kissing Waverly just as passionately as she was being kissed.

 

For a minute or two, Cole was sure their kiss really would never end, but a not-so-subtle clearing of a throat behind Waverly startled Cole out of the haze she had so quickly descended into. When she glanced up the horror that faced her was truly terrifying. There was Wynonna, hands on her hips, one tucked into her belt, the other resting solidly on the grip of her Colt Buntline. The image of the angry, vengeful sister was enough for Cole to pull away from Waverly’s lips. She couldn’t go far with Waverly still perched in her lap, but at least she could make it seem like she was sorry about defiling Wynonna’s sister.

 

Waverly wasn’t as apologetic though, grinning fiercely at Wynonna and saying, “Oh ‘Nonna, don’t be jealous. I’m sure Doc would gladly help you work off some of that tension you’re carrying around.”

 

“Shut it, babygirl. You know Doc and I can’t be more than friends,” Wynonna complained.

 

Cole was just thankful that Wynonna’s attention was off of her for a moment, so she could collect herself. Waverly was straddling her lap, and while she really didn’t want Waverly to move she knew they would’ve needed to separate anyway, even without Wynonna’s interruption, before they got ahead of themselves. Cole thought back to what Waverly had said to her at Shorty’s earlier, that apparently Cole had started this dangerous vein of flirtation between them. She had been asleep at the time, but that didn’t seem to be stopping Waverly from reacting to whatever had happened.

 

Before she got a chance to dwell on that any longer, Wynonna’s voice broke into her thoughts, saying, “Well, Waves, Gus sent me to look for you actually. She says just because you got kidnapped yesterday doesn’t mean you get out of laundry duty today.”

 

“Shit,” Cole muttered under her breath. She’d been so distracted by Waverly this morning she had forgotten to ask about where she could wash her clothes, and now she was afraid that being pretty much restricted to the Sheriff’s office for the remainder of the day meant she wouldn’t have time to complete the task herself anyway.

 

“It’s alright, Cole. I’ll grab your clothes from yesterday and throw them in with everyone else’s. It’s no bother,” Waverly said as she extracted herself from Cole’s lap.

 

Cole immediately felt the loss of Waverly’s warmth and nearly pulled the little brunette back down into her lap for another kiss. She stood instead and followed Waverly towards the door. When they reached it, Waverly spun back to Cole with a bright smile and said, “Come see me later and I’ll have a set fresh clean clothes for you.”

 

Cole simply mumbled a defeated, “Alright, then,” and watched Waverly go.

 

If Cole had been expecting Wynonna to follow Waverly back to the saloon, she was sorely disappointed. When she turned back to the rest of the office, she found Wynonna leaned up in much the same way Waverly had been a few minutes ago, one hip resting slightly against the desk. The big difference was Wynonna’s expression. Waverly had been filled with sweetness and amusement. Wynonna was neither of those things. Her arms were folded tightly across her chest and the scowl on her face told Cole everything she needed to know.

 

Wynonna did not approve of her and Waverly, that much was obvious, but Cole wasn’t sure if it was because of anything she had done or if it was merely because Waverly was her sister. Cole wanted to assume it was the latter and continuing on that train of thought she said, “You don’t think I’m good enough for your sister, but what I’m wondering is… would you think anyone was good enough for her?”

 

Wynonna’s brow crinkled a little and Cole was pleased that, at the very least, she had been right enough to make Wynonna think about it before laying into her. Wynonna’s next words were absolutely not what Cole was expecting though. “You’re probably right. She’s my babygirl, ya know?” Wynonna paused, and Cole figured she wasn’t done with that train of thought and simply waited for Wynonna to continue. “You’re an only child, aren’t ya?” Wynonna asked, just a touch of sadness in her voice.

 

Cole replied easily, pleased to find Wynonna much more agreeable than she had imagined the fiery woman to be. “Yep, though I guess you’d say I’m an only everything now. My uh, my mother died having me. My father tried raising me by himself and did an alright job, but he, uh, he died trying to defend us from a group of outlaws back in Georgia,” Cole said, barely keeping the timbre of her voice even throughout.

 

“Hey, I wasn’t trying to pry, Cole. I was only asking,” Wynonna replied, holding her hands up in a gesture of passivity.

 

Cole was surprised she had opened up so easily to Wynonna, but she figured if Wynonna knew more about her then she would see she could be just what Waverly needed, if she only had the chance. She smiled at Wynonna and said, “It’s alright, Wynonna. It was a long time ago and besides, I wanted you to know. I really am looking to settle down here in Purgatory after I’ve finished my business with Doc, so it’s probably a good idea to let the people here get to know me. Especially if I’m trying to take over for Nedley one day.”

 

Wynonna gave her an appreciative smile of her own and said, “I can read between the lines on that one, Cole. You want me to know you’re serious about my sister, and I read you loud and clear, but don’t expect me to just take you at your word. I don’t know you yet, but, uh, how about this? Maybe we could try being friends instead of enemies about it?”

 

Cole wasn’t sure if Wynonna was actually asking her if she wanted to be friends, but the way her tone tilted up at the end of her statement had Cole nodding to agree, saying, “I’d like that, Wynonna. I think we could use this little friendship to our advantage, too.” Wynonna looked instantly skeptical, but Cole was quick to reassure her, whispering conspiratorially, “Gus and Doc have both already warned me about how you’d react to me courting Waverly and I think we could use that to play a little practical joke if you’re interested.”

 

Cole could see the gears turning in Wynonna’s head, but when the Earp looked back at her, Cole knew they were going to get along just fine. “Sounds like a fun time. What’d you have in mind?” Wynonna asked, a little deviant smile crossing her lips as she extended her hand out across the distance between them.

 

Cole reached out just as easily, shaking Wynonna’s hand as she explained, “Ok, here’s what we’re gonna do…”

 

~~~

 

It was actually only a little after noon, when the magistrate arrived. He seemed like the surly type, who just wanted to get his job done and move on, so when he and his guard assumed responsibility for Bobo and his goons, Cole rushed over to Shorty’s to rouse Doc. He grumbled and groaned, but eventually he got up. Cole couldn’t help laughing though, when he tried to put his boots on the wrong feet. He simply scowled at her and barked, “Go tell Gus to put on some coffee.”

 

Cole scurried out of his room and back downstairs, stopping by to relay Doc’s request, before sprinting out the front doors and down the street to Nedley’s house. She had to do a fair bit more coaxing with the Sheriff than she had with Doc, finally having to threaten him with a bucket of water from his horse’s water trough to get him to rise. He grumbled and groaned as well, but when she told him about the coffee on at Shorty’s, Nedley perked right up, throwing on his boots and leading Cole out of the house.

 

By the time they all three got back to the Sheriff’s office, the magistrate had already interviewed the two thugs and decided they would be joining a railroad work camp for the next five years as punishment for their involvement in Bobo’s crimes. Cole was pleased they hadn’t missed the entire proceedings, as she was eager to attest to Bobo’s guilt herself.

 

She didn’t get the chance though, because the magistrate was very short and concise in his dealings with Bobo. He read off the charges, and Cole was surprised by the length of that list. Bobo was apparently into everything from petty theft to kidnapping and attempted murder. When the magistrate reached the end of the long list, Cole got a lot more answers than she was expecting. His words hung in the air for a long time, weighing heavily on everyone in the room.

 

“And finally, as for the murder of Willa Earp, Bent County has granted me special concession. Robert Svane, you have been found guilty and are hereby sentenced to hang by the neck until you are dead. Sentence to be carried out, post haste.”

 

~~~

 

When Cole looked back as they got to the outskirts of town, she realized their procession out of the Sheriff’s office had drawn quite the crowd. She spotted Gus, Wynonna and Waverly straightaway, all huddled together for comfort and support. Cole quickly realized that the entire town was going to show up for the hanging of Robert Svane. They all had some stock in his death, whether a personal connection to the Earps, or from experience with Bobo’s crimes firsthand. They all wanted to see justice served and Cole figured that before too long they’d get their wish.

 

Nedley and the magistrate presided over the ceremony, if the spectacle before her could even be called that. Cole wasn’t averse to justice being done, but she’d seen enough hangings to know that they were rarely quick, easy deaths. The gallows in town were simple, not like the elaborate set-up one might find in a bigger city like Dodge or Denver. A single post in the ground, and simple cross bar at the top with a rope thrown over was all there was to it. Cole knew that the only way for a hanging to be quick was for the neck to break at the first snap of the noose, otherwise the guilty would have no choice but to simply choke to death against their own weight.

 

She stared hard at the noose from her position on the sidelines. Part of her hated Bobo, the part that had quickly become attached to Waverly and her family, but there was also a part of her that didn’t want to watch this. In her opinion, death rarely made things right, rarely offered the closure victims and their families were so desperate for, but Cole couldn’t blame the townsfolk for wanting to watch. It was probably the most exciting thing to happen all week, apart from Cole’s own arrival anyway.

 

When everything seemed ready for Nedley to carry out Bobo’s sentence, Cole moved quietly through the crowd to Waverly’s side, wanting to be there for the woman she had grown to care so much about in such a short time. Cole could only hope Waverly would understand when she had to look away. Waverly offered her a small smile and Cole took that for what it was, and simply settled in beside the Earp family to mourn the death of their sister, the death of someone she’d never even met.

 

Nedley stepped up to the stool Bobo was standing on when the magistrate asked him to, a grim expression on his face. Cole looked away before Nedley got farther than that, though, deciding to watch Waverly instead. She could see the anticipation in Waverly’s eyes and was at least prepared for the sound of the rope snapping taut. Waverly however had obviously not been ready, because her whole body tensed and shuddered at the sound. Cole didn’t resist when Waverly buried her head in her chest a moment later. She had felt it when Bobo’s neck snapped, and quickly thanked whatever God there may be for small miracles. She was sure Bobo deserved to swing for his crimes, but she was infinitely grateful that Waverly and her family wouldn’t have to live with the image of Bobo struggling helplessly as his own weight dragged him to hell.

 

It wasn’t long before Nedley began shuffling people along, claiming the show was over and that everyone should just go about their business. The Earp’s were the last ones to walk away, Cole following closely behind to make sure they all got back to Shorty’s in one piece.

 

~~~

 

Shorty’s closed early that night.

 

The rest of the afternoon was a somber affair anyway, but a little while after the sun went down, Gus gave out a round on the house, ‘For Willa,’ and then anyone who wasn’t family was asked to leave. Cole had been occupying one of the stools at the bar for a few hours already and simply decided to call it a night at Gus’ announcement. She wasn’t family and didn’t want to intrude on the Earp’s desire for privacy. She made it as far as the bottom step before a ragingly drunk Wynonna grabbed her by the wrist.

 

At first, Cole was kind of shocked at the contact, expecting it to be Waverly stopping her from going up to her room instead of the older Earp, but when they made eye contact, Wynonna winked at her and her shock went through the roof. They’d talked about this, even schemed about it; a little practical joke, some harmless fun, but Cole instantly realized that this was not the time to be doing this. She shook her head and gritted her teeth, flashing Wynonna a brief look of ‘What are you doing?’

 

Cole had watched Wynonna plow through most of a bottle of cheap whiskey by herself over the last few hours and Cole assumed that was why Wynonna didn’t get the hint. A flash of shiny metal later and Cole found herself staring down that long-barreled six-shooter Wynonna loved so much. “SO, you think you can just sleep with my sister and then walk away?” Wynonna grumbled loudly, words slightly slurred and tone aggressive and gruff.

 

For just a second Cole couldn’t talk, couldn’t even think. All she could do was stare down into the darkness inside the barrel of that pistol. There was something terrifying about the depth of the barrel, something menacing, like Cole’s soul would get swallowed up by the darkness inside if Wynonna killed her with that gun. She stumbled back slightly when Wynonna pressed forward, unable to tear her eyes away from the pistol.

 

It seemed like a lot of things happened at once after that. Doc appeared in the corner of her vision and Gus appeared on the other side. Doc looked concerned, but cool and calm as he drew his own pistol. He didn’t point it anywhere except the floor, but Cole knew he had probably the fastest hands in all of Colorado and probably the surrounding territories as well. Cole could see he was whispering something to Wynonna. The older Earp didn’t take her eyes off of Cole as she replied, “He thinks he can just fuck my sister and then go off with you and never look back. I’m not letting that happen.”

 

Those words had barely left Wynonna’s mouth before Gus spoke up, “Hun, you don’t wanna do this.” Gus’ was alarmed, that much was clear as day. Her voice and tone were even, but she was frantically wringing her hands together in front of her as she spoke. Wynonna simply shook her head and drew back the hammer on her Colt.

 

Instinct drove Cole’s hands into the air. This was a bit more than they had planned at the Sheriff’s office that morning. Wynonna had gone off script and Cole was legitimately nervous now. The older Earp was supposed to threaten her a little bit and then call the joke, but when she pulled the hammer back on her pistol, Cole felt a sharp spike of terror that Wynonna might actually shoot her. She stammered, “Wy-Wynonna, you- don’t- please?”

 

The glare in Wynonna’s eyes softened for the briefest of moments, and Cole sighed, not even realizing she’d been holding her breath. She instantly knew Wynonna was still playing the game and that meant everything. She didn’t drop her hands, but she was a little more confident in her longevity, taking a deep breath before beginning to try to ‘talk’ Wynonna down.

 

She didn’t get the chance though, when new movement in the corner of her vision turned out to be Waverly rushing in between them. Even as she moved, Waverly was blurting out, “Wynonna, you can’t. I- I think I- I love her!”

 

Time stopped. All eyes in the room turned to Cole and she couldn’t help the hot blush that rose in her cheeks. Instant shame and embarrassment overshadowed the actual words Waverly had said. Cole couldn’t even process them. Instead, she did what she’d always done in situations like this. She ran; ran right up the stairs and down the hall, slamming her room door shut behind her.

 

She quickly began gathering her things. No doubt she would be leaving town on foot, because there was no way Doc would easily agree to her taking Jane with her. She set the saddle bags aside and began thrusting her things into her rucksack instead. She turned to the bed and finally noticed the pile of neatly-folded, clean clothes lying near the foot of the bed. Waverly must have brought them up to her room.

 

Thinking of Waverly proved to be a mistake in her plan though, because a moment later she found herself crumpled in a heap on the floor, crying. Waverly had said she loved her, and now she had to run, again. The people of Purgatory wouldn’t understand her, wouldn’t understand how she’d always felt like something was wrong with her. They would hate her for feeling more comfortable in men’s clothes than in women’s. They would hate her for feeling more like a man than a woman, all because they couldn’t understand it. They would never understand either. Cole was sure she could try to explain herself, but if she knew anything, it was that people, as individuals, could be understanding and compassionate, but as a group, pack mentality takes over, and they turn on anything they find different.

 

And, Cole had always felt different, but it was more than that, too. It was like there had always been something missing; that some part of her was missing. It had just taken her a really long time to realize why. She had grown to accept her body the way it was, for the most part, but there was always a little voice in the back of her head that told her this wasn’t how things were supposed to be. She knew then that the parts of her that she always thought were missing were the male parts she didn’t have. A feeling of despair settled in on Cole then, because she realized that she would probably never be able to make peace with herself and the rest of the world at the same time.

 

After that, it didn’t take long for Cole to acknowledge that there was no way she was going to be leaving town tonight. It would be just as dangerous as staying, wandering mostly blind in the dark until she passed out from exhaustion. She could barely keep herself from sobbing for more than a minute or two, much less hold it together long enough to slink out of town in the middle of the night. She needed to wait for the dawn. Maybe in the morning light, everything about her life wouldn’t seem so dark.

 

~~~

 

For third time in as many nights, Cole was brought back to reality by a presence in her room. The floor creaked a little, and she shifted as if still asleep, subtly scooching closer to her pistol on the nightstand, just in case. Before she could get to it though, a whispered “Cole, are you alright?” drew her up short.

 

Fire flashed through her veins. The last thing Cole wanted was some pitied attempt at comfort and the attempt only made her angrier, instantly causing her to lash out, “No! Get out!” A surprised squeak from across the room, and she instinctually sought the source. She’d know that squeak anywhere. When her eyes met the frightened face of Waverly Earp staring back at her, Cole felt her stomach lurch. Waverly looked like she was in pain, like Cole’s words had cut her deeply, a mortal wound. There was something else there too, like maybe Waverly thought that Cole might lash out again if she didn’t leave immediately. A strange sense of urgency surged through Cole as Waverly started slinking back towards the door.

 

Something about seeing Waverly that afraid of her had Cole gasping for air as her heart threatened to pound right out of her chest. “Wait,” she managed weakly, body succumbing to broken sobs all over again. The guilt and the anger and the self-hatred churned inside her, until Cole felt like she might fall over into the sea of it, drowning in despair. Not only had she lied to Waverly and the whole town, and every person she had ever met for that matter, but now those lies were lain out for everyone to see. She could feel herself slipping further and further into the dark again and didn’t know how to stop it. Impulsively, she reached out towards Waverly, desperate for anything to hang on to, before collapsing back onto the floor. Her eyes hurt, and her throat hurt. Honestly, her _everything_ hurt, and all she could do was ride out the pain and hope she didn’t become completely broken in the process.

 

A warm feeling enveloped her side and began spreading around her middle, but Cole was already so deep in her own self-loathing that it was a long while before the comfort of Waverly’s warmth broke through to her. Eventually, still sifting through the fog, she realized Waverly was talking to her, occasionally saying little things like, “It’s ok, Cole,” and “You don’t have to run, not anymore,” and “Don’t leave me, please.” Waverly’s voice treaded over her consciousness, sometimes sweet and calm and sometimes begging and afraid. The only constant was the sentiment; one of love, and reassurance.

 

It was that supportive tenderness that finally brought Cole back out of her stupor. When Cole heard Waverly say, “Cole, I love you, and I don’t care what other people have to say about it,” Cole instantly realized that she had to say something, had to say something to keep Waverly from getting hurt.

 

“W-waverly, I-” Cole began, voice thin and rough. She swallowed against the dry, soreness of her throat before she could continue, much stronger than before, “Waverly, you barely know me, how could you love me?”

 

Cole thought Waverly wouldn’t have an answer for that, but of course, Waverly was full of surprises. “I know enough, alright.” Cole fought hard not protest that, because they’d really only known each other for three days, but when Waverly continued speaking, Cole couldn’t bring herself to interrupt, “Listen, you are so kind and caring. I mean, you turned your whole life around over a stolen horse. You’re funny and maybe a little devious, if you cooked up a practical joke with Wynonna like that. Not to mention, how smart and observant you are; both very important traits for a future Sheriff. And, even though you’ve made mistakes, you learned from them. So, really, it’s all about what happens from here. And… you know, let’s not even talk about how beautiful you are.” Cole huffed at that. No one had called her beautiful in a very, very long time, not since her father was alive and to be honest, she wasn’t really sure how to react. Waverly just squeezed her tighter though and continued right along, “Hey, _you_ are beautiful, but you’re handsome, too. I mean, you looked damned good in that hat this morning, all suave and proud of it.”

 

That made Cole blush, because she knew she looked good in her Stetson. She shook her head though, trying to shake off the heat in her cheeks, as she weakly muttered, “You don’t know though, not everything.” The compliments Waverly was raining down on her were breaking through her resolve, but she wasn’t ready to give in just yet. It wasn’t that she was worried so much for herself, but the thought of the people of Purgatory turning on Waverly, just because of who she loved was a very real fear.

 

Cole couldn’t resist when Waverly asked, “Cole, look at me, please?” Their eyes met, and Waverly was smiling as she brought her hand up to Cole’s face. “I don’t need to know everything, not right this second. You don’t know everything about me either, but you love me, don’t you?”

 

“I do,” Cole answered, purely on instinct. Part of her wanted to deny it, to push the feelings aside, but as she stared into Waverly’s eyes, she knew it was no use. She wouldn’t be able to run from this. “I do love you, Waverly Earp,” Cole said again; this time fervent and solid, because if nothing else, that was one thing she could be honest about from the start. Since the moment she laid eyes on Waverly, Cole had felt drawn into everything about her.

 

Waverly visibly swooned at her words, pulling herself ever closer to Cole, pressing her face into Cole’s neck to whisper, “Then, we’ll work out the rest, alright?” Cole nodded, fearing that she couldn’t trust her voice, and that was alright because Waverly wasn’t done, quickly adding, “And don’t worry about Gus and Wynonna and them. They won’t press you if you don’t want to share certain things with them. I already told them that if they made you uncomfortable or anything, that I would leaving with you if you left.”

 

“Wave, you-” Cole began, only to be immediately cut off.

 

“NO, you don’t get to say no. If you decide to leave town, I’m coming with you. I’ve never been anywhere, and I’m dying to explore, anyway,” Waverly blurted, even as she hugged herself tighter around Cole’s middle.

 

“Alright, alright,” Cole coughed out, her breathing actually a little restricted by Waverly’s death grip around her. When Waverly’s arms relaxed a bit, Cole took in a big breath before she added, “I won’t run from this Wave. I’m too far in to run now, anyway.”

 

Waverly sighed against Cole’s chest and replied, “Me too, Cole, me too. Now, can we go to bed already?... I’m sleepy.”

 

Cole gasped, almost choking on her spit as Waverly made a little pause between ‘bed already?’ and ‘I’m sleepy.’ She was sure Waverly was messing with her, but that didn’t stop her heart from skipping a beat at the thought of sharing herself with Waverly, and of Waverly sharing herself as well. But again, Cole rationalized those thoughts away, thinking maybe Waverly had just yawned at an inconvenient moment again, and glossed over the little dig, smirking as she echoed, “Me too, Wave, me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Live from ClexaCon it's Friday Night!
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If you did, give it a kudo or a comment. Some people don't like to admit that they need validation, but I'm not too proud to say, that kudos and comments literally make my day. And, if you didn't like the chapter, definitely comment, because I'd love to hear why. The only way for me to improve as a writer is to be aware of what I could be doing better...
> 
> Anyway, next chapter on its way tomorrow, before the Ascension Party! Can't Wait!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Live from ClexaCon! It's Saturday Afternoon!
> 
> Posting this earlier than the last couple of chapters, because why not!
> 
> Well... Here it is, folks. The reason for the Explicit Rating.
> 
> I hope it's everything you dreamed it would be! HA!!!

The next morning was probably the best morning of Cole’s whole life.

 

And, she had had some good mornings, like the day she rode a horse for the first time, or that morning she signed on with that first ranch had been pretty good, too, but waking up with a warm body next to her own was better than good; it was better than the best. It seemed especially important to Cole, because that warm body, was one Waverly Earp. She had stayed, not just through the night, but in roughly the same position all night as well, and Cole’s heart swelled at the feeling of Waverly contently snuggled into her side.

 

Now, yes, Waverly’s hair was in wild disarray, all over the pillow and Cole herself. And, she was drooling a little bit, and maybe she was snoring a little too, but Cole didn’t mind, not one bit. It was the most adorable, and truly most intimate thing, Cole had ever seen in her life. Sure, she had shared some firsts with Shannon, but those memories had nothing on the feeling of squeezing lightly around Waverly’s middle and having Waverly sleepily snuggle deeper into her arms and sigh in comfort.

 

Cole could tell it was still very early morning, the sun not even fully up yet, and she considered just slipping back into sleepy bliss with Waverly in her arms, but something about this particular moment struck Cole as special and she didn’t want to miss a second of it. She laid there and watched Waverly sleep until her neck couldn’t take the strain of being held up at such an awkward angle. Then, she listened as Waverly just breathed, little puffing snores gradually rising towards a crescendo. Cole was fascinated when Waverly started to dream, face and neck twitching, as her eyes darted around under her eyelids. The whimpers and soft sighs that escaped Waverly’s throat as the dream seemed to intensify, made Cole’s heartbeat faster with each little sound. Before long, Waverly was squirming in her sleep, and Cole thought maybe she was having a nightmare.

 

Cole shifted slightly, picking up her head a little to try to get a better look at Waverly’s face, but then Waverly’s hips rocked back into her own. She could barely contain her shocked little gasp as the movement drove Waverly’s behind into direct contact with her center. The arm she held around Waverly’s waist tightened instinctively, causing Waverly’s back to arch against her. A breathy sigh broke the tense silence of the moment that followed, and Cole thought that was it, that the dream had played out, or that Waverly was waking up, but when Waverly’s hips rolled back again, Cole couldn’t stop the soft groan that escaped her throat. ‘Is this really happening? Is she doing this on purpose?’ raced through Cole’s thoughts, her mind trying to rationalize, but when Waverly’s hips rolled back a third time, and Cole’s arm naturally tightened again, Waverly moaned and arched into her harder, body straining against her hold. Suddenly, rationality and logic seemed like a distant dream.

 

Waverly’s body didn’t stop moving either, hips rocking to-and-fro, oh-so-slowly but steadily gaining speed. Cole moved her hand down to Waverly’s hip, mostly to try to ground herself, but she couldn’t deny that part of her didn’t want Waverly to stop. Her heart was beating like it was going to pound right out of her chest, so loud that Cole wasn’t sure how its furious beating hadn’t been the thing to wake Waverly up. The next time Waverly’s hips rocked back though, Cole’s hand flinched, ruffling the fabric covering Waverly’s hipbone. Cole instantly felt the muscles under her hand tense. “Huh? C-cole?” Waverly croaked, even as she settled in Cole’s arms.

 

“Yeah, Wave, it’s me. Sorry, I- I didn’t mean to wake you. I think, maybe, you were dreaming. It, uh, it seemed like a good one,” Cole replied, shakily. She hadn’t been trying to take advantage of the situation, but now that Waverly was actually awake, she worried how her hand position would be interpreted. It was still resting on Waverly’s hip and Cole couldn’t help it when her fingers twitched again, bunching slightly in the fabric this time as she gripped Waverly’s hip. The action drew a hitching gasp from Waverly and Cole let out a little groan of her own at the way Waverly’s body trembled and shivered under her touch.

 

“C-Cole,” Waverly gasped again, and Cole could hear a little hint of something new, something longing in Waverly’s voice. It might have sounded like anxiety, or maybe nervousness, but that didn’t track. It was almost a question, like Waverly needed something from Cole, but just didn’t know how to ask for it. She could imagine some of the things Waverly might want in the position they were in, but she still worried they weren’t ready. Cole had thought that they would wait until she got back from Dodge before they explored their relationship in an intimate, physical way, but something in Waverly’s tone had Cole seriously questioning that assumption.

 

Cole was snapped from her thoughts as one of Waverly’s hands slid up to grip the back of her neck. The position put Waverly’s arm out at a bit of an awkward angle, but she didn’t seem to mind, pulling Cole ever closer and whispering, “You know, it was a really good dream. So good in fact, that I think maybe you should finish what you started.”

 

Cole wasn’t sure what to say to that but was relieved when she could just bury her face in the side of Waverly’s neck for a few moments, instead of answering right away. She was a little embarrassed, and maybe just little more than pleased that Waverly had been dreaming about her, but the fact remained that Cole had only rudimentary knowledge about what should come next and she certainly didn’t want to mess this up. She knew the basics, let’s say, but with such a limited amount of practice, Cole was only really sure of two things. One- That she wanted Waverly to feel good, wanted to make her happy, and bring her pleasure. And, Two- That she’d do just about anything to make that happen.

 

Cole couldn’t help feeling like she was already in over her head, but when Waverly’s fingers rubbed tenderly at the back of her neck, Cole relaxed a little, despite her persistent uneasiness. She released a huffed, but content, sigh against Waverly’s skin and Cole could feel Waverly shiver as the heat of her breath cascaded down Waverly’s neck and shoulder. Cole smiled against Waverly’s skin, feeling slightly more confident, knowing that just her hot breath could cause that kind of reaction. When she exhaled again, and the effect was the same, Cole suddenly understood, suddenly knew just what to do; watch and listen, pay attention and react accordingly. Waverly’s body would tell her what she liked, all Cole had to do was interpret the signals. When Waverly shivered again, Cole’s fingers instantly itched and twitched over Waverly’s hip bone. Waverly squirmed back against her and whimpered, and Cole knew, unequivocally, that, yes, she could do this, but a slightly bigger question still remained… should she does this?

 

“Wave, are you-” Cole tried, breathlessly against Waverly’s skin, but then Waverly’s breath hitched again, and her hips rocked back sharply, and suddenly, Cole couldn’t go on. She could barely even think, much less talk, when Waverly’s body moved like that against her.

 

Waverly replied to the unfinished question anyway, with a breathy, “Yes, Cole, I’m sure. God, I’m so sure. Just- just touch me, please?”

 

“A-alright,” Cole whispered, a little gruffy against Waverly’s shoulder as her hand trailed from Waverly’s hip to her thigh and back, shifting the fabric of Waverly’s chemise up as she went. Waverly began wiggling, almost frantically and a second later, Waverly’s hand, the one that wasn’t still clutched almost desperately to the back of Cole’s neck, shifted and struggled to pull her chemise up far enough to give Cole access to her bare skin. Cole caught on pretty quick and shifted sideways in the bed, so she could pull Waverly over onto her back. That first time their eyes met, it was all the quiet, solid assurance Cole could need. Blown pupils and swirling heat, a look of raw desire was what she found, and she instantly knew that, not only could she make Waverly feel good, but that this was the special moment she had sensed and stayed awake for earlier, because in that moment, Cole could see just how much Waverly wanted this, wanted her.

 

Cole shifted again, up onto her knees, slowly settling over one of Waverly’s thighs, as she gently slid both hands up under the bottom of Waverly’s already bunched up underdress. Waverly’s hands were there too, tangling and pulling in the fabric for a second, before the garment was gone and then there was Waverly’s almost naked body laid out before her. Cole wanted to look everywhere, but the first thing her eyes fixed on was Waverly’s face again. Waverly was looking up at her as well, and Cole couldn’t believe the need and trust she saw in those eyes. She held Waverly’s gaze as she leaned forward, all the way until their lips met. It was soft at first, Cole merely resting her lips against Waverly’s, but after only a moment or two, Waverly’s hands slid into her hair. Waverly tipped her face one way as she directed Cole’s head the other. Their mouths slotted together then, both opening instinctually for the other. The first brush of Waverly’s tongue had Cole gasping into her mouth, but she didn’t pull away, only allowed herself to sink further into Waverly’s warmth.

 

Before long, the temptation to look at, and touch, more of Waverly’s skin became too much for Cole and she shifted once again, this time settling on her side, with her body pressed tightly against Waverly’s almost bare form. Cole began trailing her fingertips over Waverly’s arm, from wrist to elbow. Waverly shivered at the contact and released another breathy sigh. Cole enjoyed every sight and sound as her fingers continued on, moving to explore Waverly’s upper arm and shoulder and neck, each new area bringing more quivers and moans and little whispers of Cole’s name from Waverly’s lips. She traced her fingers over one particular spot on Waverly’s neck that drew a soft moan. Cole made mental note of that spot for later.

 

When her fingers finally reached Waverly’s jaw, she tipped Waverly’s face delicately towards her own again, and caught Waverly’s lips in another kiss. This one had everything that the last one held, but there was an undercurrent of urgency now, a sense that something substantial was about to happen. Cole faltered a little when Waverly’s hips bucked up off the bed, Waverly releasing another quiet whimper. Cole flushed, suddenly remembering her ultimate goal was to _touch_ Waverly. She glanced down Waverly’s body and noticed a damp looking spot on the front Waverly’s bloomers. ‘Oh god,’ Cole thought, barely stifling a groan at the sight. She didn’t want to rush, but everything about Waverly was urging her to take her touch lower, so she began trailing her fingertips down Waverly’s neck then, and over her collarbone, down onto her chest. Cole’s eyes followed her fingertips intently, wanting to take in every little reaction to her touch.

 

She drew idle patterns over the flatness of Waverly’s breast bone, before moving to her breasts themselves. Waverly’s nipples were already straining against the air by the time Cole actually She smirked as she gently brushed the backs of her fingers over one of the hardened buds, reveling in the pleased, relieved sigh Waverly released at the stimulation. Cole continued the action a few more times, pleased with herself that she could so easily draw more, and more, and more of those soft sounds from Waverly with each pass. 

 

Cole heard a faint, “please,” and she glanced up to meet Waverly’s eyes. She recognized the tension in Waverly’s expression immediately; lips pressed tightly together, brow furrowed heavily in concentration.

 

Cole paused her ministrations instantly, as she quietly pleaded, “W-what can I do, baby? What do you need?”

 

Within a second, Waverly had a tight grip on Cole’s wrist and was dragging her hand down. Cole’s nervousness was starting to mount a return, but when Waverly practically moaned her response, “I need youuu lower,” every last one of Cole’s doubts flew away.

 

The first brush of Cole’s fingertips over the waistband of Waverly’s knickers seemed to be like torture to Waverly, her body jerking harshly, but the next second, she moaned, far too loudly, and Cole couldn’t stop, wouldn’t stop for anything in that moment, quickly slipping her fingertips under the fabric of Waverly’s bloomers. Waverly must have been getting impatient too tough, because one of her hands flew down and begun frantically tugged at either side of her own underwear, obviously desperate to have them off. Cole helped as best she could, but only once Waverly had flung them off her ankle, sending them flying across the room, could Cole focus again. The first thing she noticed was the thicket of light brown hair covering Waverly’s sex. Cole groaned, long and loud, when her fingers brushed that thatch of hair for the first time and found it damp and oh-so-delightfully warm. “Wave, Oh-,” Cole choked, as her fingers slipped between Waverly’s slick folds for the first time.

 

Waverly moaned beside her, head jerking back and exposing all the long lines of her neck. Cole happily accepted that invitation and moved her lips over every inch of exposed skin she could reach as her fingers tested and explored Waverly’s core. She had just found a sort of soft, steady, up and down rhythm when Waverly’s body shuddered and stiffened beside her. Cole could feel Waverly’s sex twitching and pulsing a moment later. Cole wanted this moment to last forever, needed to prolong the rapture of this moment if she possibly could. She kept her rhythm slow, but steadily applied more pressure. A few strokes later, she found herself rewarded with a long, loud groan and a violent tremor that ricocheted through Waverly’s body. Cole smirked a little against Waverly’s skin and whispered, “Baby, shhh. Someone might hear.”

 

Waverly gasped, and Cole wasn’t sure whether if it was a reaction to something she was doing or if her words had caused Waverly’s breath to catch so harshly in her throat, but she quickly decided that those thoughts could wait. The absolute last thing Cole wanted was for Wynonna or Gus to hear them, so Cole sealed her lips over Waverly’s and swallowed every moan and whimper and groan until finally Waverly weakly pushed Cole’s hand away from her core. Cole drew away a little sharply, only to have Waverly grip her wrist again and bring her hand back to rest over her heated flesh. Cole stared down at Waverly’s content face and understood. Waverly wasn’t looking for more stimulation, but she didn’t want Cole to stop touching her, so Cole merely cupped her hand over Waverly’s still pulsing sex as she brought their lips together again.

 

Part of Cole’s shoulder was falling asleep where it was pinned underneath her, and even though she didn’t want to give up her hold on Waverly, she couldn’t keep herself from shifting slightly to try to relieve the tingling ache. She blushed, realizing immediately how incredibly slick her own core had become, but this wasn’t the time for that, this wasn’t about her right now. She wanted nothing more than to stay there with Waverly and enjoy just being with her like this, breathing heavy and spent. Eventually, Waverly’s sealed-tight eyes finally winked open and the lingering desire Cole found there was overwhelming. She was suddenly a little nervous about what was going through Waverly’s mind, but when Waverly’s lips slowly stretched into an ear to ear grin, Cole couldn’t be bothered enough to worry anymore. All that mattered was keeping that smile on Waverly’s face as long as possible.

 

Unfortunately, it didn’t last nearly as long as Cole had hoped it would, as a red-hot blush crept over Waverly’s features, instead. Cole swallowed against the slight dryness in her throat before she quietly asked, “Waverly, what is it?”

 

Waverly buried her face in Cole’s shoulder and grumbled something unintelligible against her skin. Cole simply dipped her head and tipped Waverly’s head back with her chin, so she could look into Waverly’s eyes once more. She didn’t ask again, just smiled as she waited for Waverly to repeat herself instead. Waverly seemed to be even more embarrassed to have to say it again, but eventually spit it out, saying, “I’m embarrassed, ‘cause I didn’t mean to… you know… so… so quickly anyway. It’s just, you-you’re fingers, they felt really good and I didn’t want you to stop but I was already so wor-” Waverly cut herself off, like she suddenly realized she was rambling. Her blush flared again as she clasped her bottom lip tightly between her teeth, like she might start babbling again the second she let it loose.

 

Cole gently shook her head, her smile turning a little sad, because, of course, Waverly would feel embarrassed for feeling good, for enjoying Cole’s touch so much. Cole brought their lips together for just a quick little kiss, before she whispered, “It’s alright Waverly, this doesn’t have to be a one-time thing, you know.” It made Cole a little nervous when Waverly didn’t have some immediate reply, so Cole finally removed her hand from Waverly’s sex and added quietly, “But, uh, only if you want to… ‘cause we don’t have to… if you don’t wan-”

 

It was Cole’s turn to cut herself off to keep from rambling herself, but as it happened, Waverly was right there, pressing herself up suddenly to capture Cole’s lips with her own. Obviously, Cole didn’t protest too much, quickly sinking back down onto her side next to Waverly. Waverly rolled into her as well, and with the better angle, it didn’t take long before the kiss deepened yet again.

 

Cole figured now was just as good a time as any for a repeat performance, especially if Waverly was so eager. Cole had always prided herself about being a ‘practice makes perfect’ kind of person, anyway, but Waverly’s hand drifted up and caught her wrist, just as Cole began trailing her still damp fingers down Waverly’s body again. Cole stilled her hand as she looked into Waverly’s searching eyes. “I- I thought maybe, you know, you might want to, uh…” Waverly began shakily. She intertwined their fingers together, and it seemed to give her the confidence to continue, though sort of pleadingly, “I mean, I’d like to try to make you feel good too, if you’ll let me.”

 

Cole knew what Waverly meant without elaboration, but she took an extra second to deeply consider Waverly’s words. She couldn’t deny she was very interested in what Waverly was offering, but she was honestly and truly worried about how she was going to react to Waverly’s touch. Going through a significant portion of her life disliking, or even hating, certain parts of her body had left Cole feeling a little gun shy. But, when Cole remembered how easily Waverly had trusted her, had opened herself up, Cole wanted, and needed, to give Waverly the same freedom to explore that Waverly had just given her.

 

“Waverly, I-” Cole tried, only to have her words abandon her in just the moment she needed them most. She wanted to explain that this was a first, like a _first,_ first, for her, but the words just wouldn’t come. She could feel her throat begin to tighten and instead of just letting it happen, she tried her best to relax, silently refusing to break down. Searching Waverly’s face, it was that easy, patient smile was what finally did it, broke through Cole’s trepidation. The way Waverly was looking at her, with expectation, sure, but there was something about that smile that told Cole that she could say no, and Waverly wouldn’t be upset. Waverly really did just want to make her feel good, however she could, however Cole would let her. Finally, she swallowed hard and tried again, barely managing her simple, yet strained reply, “Yes, I think I’d like that.”

 

Waverly’s smile, all sweet and friendly at first, transformed as she rolled Cole over onto her back. The smirk that replaced it was hungry and a little coy and Cole thought about commenting about it, but then Waverly’s hand came to rest on her hip, her fingertips easily slipping under Cole’s undershirt, and Cole thought her mind almost exploded. A sharp involuntary shiver rolled over her skin and her hips bucked ever so slightly, her body already reacting to Waverly’s fingers and they were just barely brushing the skin of her stomach. She was sure if her cheeks and neck weren’t already flushed, they would be soon, only this time from embarrassment. Waverly was barely touching her, and she thought she was already well on her way. ‘What will it be like when she’s…?’ ran through her mind only to be cut short as all the new sensations overwhelmed her.

 

Waverly’s hand crept up slowly, fingertips dragging over Cole’s quivering stomach and up to her ribs, further and further, until they were brushing the underside of one of Cole’s breasts. Cole had never appreciated her breasts before, had often hated having them, but when Waverly’s hand gently cupped the swell, Cole couldn’t deny how good it felt. She gasped when Waverly’s thumb brushed over her nipple, the flesh there instantly hardening against the stimulation. She barely bit back a whine when Waverly’s wandering hand retreated only a moment later. Cole’s eyes flashed open, immediately tracking Waverly, who was shifting in the bed, moving to straddle her hips.

 

When most of Waverly’s weight settled over her core, Cole could feel the heat of Waverly’s sex radiating just above her, even with Cole’s long shorts still firmly in place. She bit her lip to keep herself from grabbing Waverly and pulling her down, to drag that heat against her stomach, just to feel Waverly’s slick paint her skin. Cole shivered at the thought, barely hearing her name, and the sultry whisper that followed it, “Hey, look at me, handsome.”

 

Cole hadn’t even realized she had closed her eyes again, but quickly opened them, seeking Waverly’s gentle gaze. She didn’t have to look far to find her; smirking and naked and straddling her hips. The visual was almost too much for Cole. She barely stifled a groan as her hips bucked up, finding purchase against Waverly above her. Waverly didn’t try to stifle her own noises, humming loudly as she slipped her fingers back under Cole’s shirt, pausing as she took the hem in her hands. Waverly was staring right into her eyes, and it only took Cole a moment to realize Waverly was waiting for permission to take off her shirt. Cole simply nodded, a little sheepishly, and leaned up to give Waverly better access. Waverly practically squealed, as if she was about to unwrap a birthday present or something. Her enthusiasm seemed to be contagious too, because a moment later, Cole found herself scrambling to get her shirt off as well, eager for Waverly’s hands on her skin again.

 

When Waverly finally tossed her undershirt across the room, Cole had to fight the urge to cover her breasts, even though she knew Waverly had taken off her shirt, not simply for better access to her skin, but because Waverly actually wanted to see Cole’s body. Still, the urge was there, mostly because no one had ever been this close. Cole had never trusted anyone like this, but Waverly certainly seemed to be appreciating the view, letting out a little enthusiastic hum as she leaned forward to bring their lips together. In that moment, Cole’s entire nervous system lit up like the 4th of July. The feeling of so much of Waverly’s skin against her own was almost overwhelming, so right and perfect Cole had trouble thinking of anything other than the slip and slide of their bodies together. Cole laid back against the bed, smiling into the kiss, as she pulled Waverly right down on top of herself. Waverly shimmied up her body a little, chasing Cole’s lips, and Cole didn’t fight the groan that bubbled out of her throat, as hot slick slid against the skin of her stomach. While earlier Cole had been very concerned about someone hearing them, the way Waverly was making her feel, Cole couldn’t find it in herself to worry about that, especially in that particular moment, releasing a loud groan as Waverly shifted above her again.

 

Cole tried to push herself into Waverly again, but only really managed to writhe a little wildly against Waverly’s body, that was hovering so closely above her. Cole was too busy squirming to recognize the slow path Waverly’s fingers began making down her body, but then fingertips latched onto either side of one of her nipples and squeezed a little and Cole arched up so sharply into the touch, her hips drove up into Waverly’s, her body instinctively seeking more. Waverly moaned at the contact even as her fingers continued, lightly pinching and rolling Cole’s nipple between her fingers until it was straining hard against her touch. Cole thought she might die from how hard her heart was beating. A broken whine slipped from between her lips when Waverly pinched a little more firmly and tugged at her flesh, before finally releasing her nipple. Cole choked when those same fingers returned, only this time trailing down her side to pause at the hollow just inside her hip. It seemed to Cole that the skin there shouldn’t be that sensitive, but as Waverly’s fingertips danced and dipped across her skin, Cole couldn’t stop herself from bucking against Waverly all over again.

 

Another soft whine leaked out of Cole as Waverly shifted again, so that Waverly was straddling one of Cole’s thighs instead of her hips. The new pressure against her core from Waverly’s knee was almost what Cole wanted, but when she imagined how it would feel to have Waverly’s soft fingers trailing over her sex, her whine intensified. “Wa-wav, pl-” Cole managed to utter when Waverly’s hand started to creep down again. Waverly’s fingertips finally brushed the waistband of her shorts and Cole sucked in a breath and held it, muscles coiled tight in sheer anticipation.

 

Waverly’s hand loosened the drawstring of her long shorts easily enough and Waverly’s fingers kept moving too, slipping down, down, down. Cole released her held breath in a heavy sigh, as one of Waverly’s fingers finally slipped in between her folds for the first time. Simply imagining Waverly’s touch was absolutely nothing compared to the real thing, and for just a moment Cole wondered if this was how Waverly had felt when Cole had first touched her. But then there was no more thought, no more wondering, no more anything, except the white-hot pleasure in Waverly’s fingertips dancing over her sex and the slow, soft passion of Waverly’s lips moving over her body.

 

Waverly started dropping kisses everywhere she could reach, never focusing anywhere too long, and even though Cole was sighing and humming and moaning into each new sensation, she was starting to feel overwhelmed. The all-over stimulation felt like galloping before she had a chance to even get warmed up. Waverly seemed to sense it though and brought their lips together for more sweet passion to contradict the firm pressure of Waverly’s fingers rolling and circling over her core. Cole could feel it, something, building low and deep, and her sex pulsed and throbbed with each of Waverly’s movements.

 

Cole wasn’t sure when Waverly had started talking to her, but when she heard, “It’s ok, love. Just let go, I’ve got you,” Cole’s whole body responded to the tender words. She stiffened, breath hitching tight in her chest, even as her insides rolled and twitched and pulsed with each beat of her heart. Waverly’s fingers didn’t stop moving, simply slowing and circling and slowing and circling until Cole finally relaxed again, shivers radiating out for her core as it clenched and flexed and throbbed in the aftermath of her release.

 

Waverly’s fingers eventually stilled, and Cole had to blink several times when she opened her eyes to drive the stars from her vision. “Gah, W- wh- I- I nev- an, but n- god,” Cole babbled, trying to find the words to express how she felt, all while still trying to catch her breath. It was like Waverly had shown her things she never knew about herself; that she could, in fact, enjoy her body and that she could trust someone enough to help her with that. She wanted nothing more to tell Waverly how much this all meant to her, she just couldn’t get her brain to communicate with her lips in that moment.

 

Waverly shushed her a little though, saying, “It’s ok, Cole, just relax, and tell me when you’re ready.” Cole sank into the sheets as Waverly settled back down into the bed beside her.

 

It was more than a few minutes before Cole actually felt like she could talk, could explain. “W-waverly, I never, I mean, before…” was all that managed to come out though, but when Waverly’s head shot up from her chest, eyes wide, Cole knew she’d managed to at least get some of her point across.

 

Waverly looked shocked, but also a little smug as she replied, “You’ve never? You mean, like, not even by yourself?” Cole simply shook her head and tried to fight off how embarrassed she felt over her admission. Waverly’s hand came up to rest on Cole’s cheek, as Waverly whispered, “God, I- T-thank you for… for sharing that with me, Cole.”

 

Cole swallowed harshly before she said, “I wanna share everything with you, Waverly.” She paused and when Waverly looked at her with such gentle expectation, Cole knew it was time. “I- I’ve never been truly comfortable with my body. I mean, you have no idea how hard it was not to cover myself when you pulled off my shirt before. I- I’ve hated these since pretty much the day I got them,” Cole confessed, glancing down at her breasts in abhorrence. She stared at her breasts for a moment before she added, “I never knew… that feeling someone else’s touch could feel so good. Maybe because I’ve never trusted anyone enough to let them see me like this, or maybe it was just because it was you, but I’ve never felt so comfortable in my own skin than I do right now and that’s because of you.”

 

Waverly caught her lips in a sweltering kiss a moment later, even as she mumbled, “I love you, Cole.”

 

Cole sighed, sated and lazy, content to let Waverly kiss her as long as she wanted. When it seemed even air was no longer a priority to Waverly though, Cole brought her hand up to Waverly’s cheek to guide her away, so she could finally respond, “I love you, too, Waverly, more than anything.”

 

~~~

 

It was another quarter hour or so, before Cole felt like she could even begin to think about getting up. She knew that eventually they would have to, that they wouldn’t be able to spend all day in bed. Waverly didn’t seem to be in any rush to get up either, though, so Cole let herself enjoy just being here, sated and spent with Waverly, for as long as she could. There was nothing that could drag her away in that moment, except maybe... a grumpy older sister.

 

The bangbangbang on the door scared the both of them, Cole instinctively sitting up and looking around for her pistol, while Waverly scrambled up and shimmied into her chemise. Cole was almost to the door before Waverly got a hold of her. “Cole, you might want to dress first,” Waverly whispered with a smile as she slid her hand across Cole’s still bare waist.

 

Cole glanced down and while, yes, she still had on her long shorts, they were hanging very low on her hips, still untied as they were. Cole rectified that first, tugging the two strings and quickly tying them. “Just a minute,” she called out gruffly, voice still rough and tight. She turned and found Waverly standing there with her under shirt in hand, a beaming smile on her face.

 

For just a second Cole got lost in Waverly’s loving eyes, only to have the door shudder with another bangbangbang. A shout came from the other side, “If you two are done taking a turn at Bushy Park, Doc wants Cole to meet him downstairs, and preferably sometime before noon.”

 

Waverly instantly barked back, “Wynonna! Please!”

 

Cole was still shuffling herself into her shirt when she heard the door open. She turned away, because of course, in her haste, she had gotten the shirt on backwards and inside out, but just a moment later, the door closed again. Cole was surprised to find Waverly gone when she turned back towards the door. She started to follow, but then, through the door, she heard Waverly say, “Wynonna, do you have to be so crass all the time?”

 

A gruff laugh followed, and then, “Well, I could have asked ‘If you were done playing Cole’s blanket hornpipe,’ but I thought that would be in bad taste.”

 

Cole winced at the term, having heard it in one of the seedier saloon’s in Dodge. She didn’t appreciate being discussed like this; it was foreign, new. She wasn’t going to let Wynonna just say whatever she wanted, quickly opening the door, but stalling when she caught the look in Waverly’s eye.

 

“Wynonna, I already told you what would happen…” Waverly began, but Wynonna quickly interrupted.

 

“I know, I know, babygirl. I’ll- You won’t hear anything else like that from me. I- I can see how much this means to you,” Wynonna said hastily, glancing up to meet Cole’s eyes. Cole was about to interrupt herself, but Wynonna sucked in a breath and added just as hastily, “I can see how much this means to both of you. We, uh, we want you here in Purgatory, Cole. You’re a good _man_ , we all see that, so as long as you don’t break my sister’s heart, you and I won’t have any problems, alright?”

 

Cole winced slightly when she heard the emphasis Wynonna put on the word _man_ , but something there told Cole it wasn’t meant as a dig. Wynonna was clearly trying to make amends and when she looked down and saw Wynonna’s hand outstretched in front of her, Cole took it easily, replying, “Right, Wynonna. And, and thank you for the compliment. I’m trying to be a better _person_ , and it’s good to see people recognizing that.” Cole watched as Wynonna’s eyes glanced over at Waverly and Cole couldn’t help but follow the movement.

 

Waverly was smiling that ear to ear grin, obviously happy as a clam, but then her attention seemed to shift down the hall. Cole glanced that way as well and found Gus staring at the three of them, hands resting haughtily on her hips. Cole quickly ducked back into her room, dragging Waverly with her. When the door was closed behind them, Cole called out to Wynonna, “Tell Doc I’ll be down soon.”

 

Neither Cole nor Waverly spoke for several minutes after that, they simply clung to each other, like the whole world was trying to pull them apart. Cole knew what Waverly was thinking about, because it was the same thing she was thinking about. She and Doc would be leaving today, or maybe, tomorrow at the latest. It was no more than a week’s ride to Dodge, so Cole reasoned she’d be back in Purgatory in no less than two weeks, but those thoughts weren’t exactly comforting. Just the thought of being away from Waverly for two weeks hurt, but what if two weeks turned into a month or even two or three; it was inconceivable.

 

Eventually though, Cole began to feel and hear Waverly sniffling against her, and pulled back to draw Waverly into a teary kiss before whispering against her lips, “I love you, Waverly Earp and nothing, hell or high water, will keep me from coming back to you, understand?”

 

Waverly simply pulled herself tighter to Cole’s body and said, “You- you can’t know that for sure, Cole. What if… What if…”

 

“Shhh,” Cole interrupted, fearing that if she let Waverly continue, the woman she loved might just come apart at the seams. “I know you’re worried. And I hear what you’re saying, but I have to do this. I have to try to fix my mistakes when the chance comes along, you know that right?”

 

Waverly nodded weakly, before ducking her head back into Cole’s chest. “I know, I do, but do you have to leave today? Couldn’t we just have this one day?”

 

Cole could hear the pleading in Waverly’s tone and quickly replied, “Waverly, I want that too, but you know that I owe Doc. I stole his horse, for Pete’s sake. He could have me strung up if he wanted. So, I’m not gonna argue if he wants to leave today.” Waverly sucked in a breath as if to interrupt, but Cole hurriedly continued, “I can’t imagine he’ll want to leave today, Wave. I think he’s probably just wanting to discuss the trip and what we might expect when we get there.” Waverly seemed to take that into consideration, so Cole kept going, “Come on, let’s go downstairs, and just see what he wants. Knowing is better than worrying, right?”

 

That seemed to calm Waverly a bit, and she reluctantly let go of Cole’s waist. She immediately cupped either side of Cole’s face though and brought their lips together. Thousands of words couldn’t have described what it felt like for Waverly to pull her in like that, almost desperate for the connection. Cole really hoped this wouldn’t be one of the last times she’d got to kiss Waverly like that.

 

~~~

 

Finally, dressed and presentable, Cole and Waverly made their way down to the saloon proper, finding it completely empty except for Doc, Wynonna, Gus, and Nedley. They seemed to be in some deep discussion, but when Cole let her footfalls ring out a little louder as she and Waverly got the bottom of the stairs, all eyes turned to them. Cole tried her best to keep cool and confident, taking Waverly’s hand into her own and escorting the woman she loved across the room.

 

Nedley was the first to speak, saying, “Good to see you didn’t slink off in the night, son. I’d hate to have to go back to looking for new deputy.” He crossed to Cole and for a second, she wasn’t sure how to react. He seemed like nothing had changed, but it irrevocably had. When he reached out between them though, Cole shook his hand on instinct, only truly believing his sincerity once she felt his solid grip in her own. It was obvious he meant what he said. He was glad she had stayed, and not just because he’d have to find another deputy.

 

Cole found his genuine tone and firm shake were like a breath of fresh air. She took in a calming breath of her own and honestly replied, “Thank you, sir.” He gave her a bit of a look and she corrected herself, “Thank you, Randy.”

 

Gus was next to step up to her, and Cole barely had the chance to tense before Gus wrapped her in a big hug and whispered, “Take care of her by taking care of yourself.”

 

Cole could tell those words were meant just for her and she whispered back, “Yes, ma’am.” Gus also gave her a look as she pulled away from their embrace, but Cole wasn’t going to correct herself there. Gus deserved her respect and deference, especially now.

 

Doc had stood up from his seat at the bar when Cole and Waverly had come into the room, but Cole sensed he was waiting for something. So, after greeting Wynonna with nod, Cole finally turned her full attention to Doc and not wanting to draw things out, asked frankly, “When do we leave?”

 

Doc just smirked at her and said, “Well I’d say we’d leave today, but the way Waverly is staring daggers at me right now, I guess tomorrow’ll do.”

 

Cole glanced over as he was speaking and did in fact see a fire in Waverly’s eyes that would burn a whole right through Doc if only it could get out at him. She barely managed to stifle a laugh, because Waverly was tiny, but obviously fierce. Cole hadn’t expected Waverly’s ire to look so damn attractive. With a brief shake of her head, Cole turned her attention back to Doc and said, “That sounds fine to me. I’d like a chance to get over to Gray’s again before we leave anyway.”

 

“Oh,” Nedley broke in. “That reminds me. Here,” he said, as he handed her several bills folded up.

 

“Sheriff, what’s this?” Cole asked, looking down at the money he had just stuffed into her hand.

 

“Your pay, plus week or so,” Nedley replied easily, smiling at her confusion. “We, uh, took up a collection from the folks in town. We figured you could use the advance, just make sure you come back.”

 

To say Cole was shocked would be a gross understatement. No one had ever trusted her like this, had ever drawn her in and then wanted to keep her. And now, here was this group of people, this family, this whole town, all wanting her to stay, or if she couldn’t stay to at least come back. She found herself blinking back tears as she swept her eyes over the room. They were all looking at her, smiling, and for the first time since she watched her childhood home burn, Cole truly felt like she belonged.

 

~~~

 

Eventually, after some travel planning with Doc and breakfast with Waverly, Cole and Waverly made their way over to the stable. Pete wasn’t there immediately to greet them, so they wandered on in to the stable proper, looking down in each stall for the farrier. All the way down at the end, Cole and Waverly found Pete hard at work, picking out one of Jane’s hooves. Pete was being gentle, well as gentle as he could be while digging around in the bottom of the horse’s foot and Cole took notice, speaking up about it, “Pete, you have some kinda way with her. She’s not even that patient with me.”

 

Pete startled a little and Jane whickered, but he didn’t even look up as he replied, “Well, I did butter her up first. Brought her a couple carrots from my garden this morning.”

 

“Ah, yeah,” Cole sighed, “She’s a sucker for anything sweet. Thanks for taking such good care of her.”

 

“No problem at all, _Deputy_. We take care of our own here in Purgatory,” Pete replied as he moved around Jane to take up another one of her hooves. He put a little emphasis on the title that Cole easily recognized as part sarcasm, but also part respect, like how a friend might offer a soft jab here or there trying to make a joke. Cole had to admit it felt nice being joked with. It made her feel even more accepted.

 

Jane whickered behind her, pulling Cole from her thoughts. She glanced over to find Waverly in what looked like a deep, whispered conversation with Jane. Cole couldn’t help the grin that stretched across her lips and when she looked back to Pete she found him grinning as well.

 

Pete kept working as he half-whispered, “Seems you found more than just work here, too.” Cole fought down the hot blush that tried to surge over her skin, clenching her fists slightly and looking away, but Pete didn’t wait for her to reply in any other way, simply adding, “Yep, seems so. Looks good on ya.”

 

“Thanks,” Cole murmured as she and Pete moved around Jane’s rump, so Pete could keep working and again, Cole marveled at how easy Jane was with Pete. The horse had taken to Cole as a rider pretty quickly, but it was like Jane was always too eager to get back on the trail to let Cole do any kind of thorough hoof maintenance. Thinking about riding the trail brought Cole to the reason of her visit to the stable, and even though she hated to, she asked, “Well, I guess you’ve probably heard Doc and I are leaving for Dodge. You think she’ll be ready by morning?”

 

“Oh, of course. Doc already came by this morning to check in on her, too. I had no idea Jane here used to belong to him,” Pete replied, again not looking up from his task.

 

Cole noticed Waverly’s slight hitch of breath from beside her and reached out to take the younger woman’s hand in her own, pulling Waverly to her so they were side by side again. She gave a little reassuring squeeze around Waverly’s waist as she explained, “Yep and that’s a bit of a long story actually. How about when I get back from Dodge we could get drinks and I’ll tell you all about it?”

 

Pete finally looked up, a genuine smile on his face as he laughed, “HA! Yeah, you had me at drinks. You buying?”

 

“Sure thing, Pete. Well, we’ll just, uh, let you get back to work then,” Cole said, even as Pete had already turned back to Jane’s hoof.

 

~~~

 

After taking their leave from Pete, Cole and Waverly ambled through town towards Gray’s General Store. Cole could tell there was something on Waverly’s mind. The way Waverly was worrying at her sleeve, as they walked arm in arm, was a dead giveaway. Cole had noticed that Waverly liked to fidget when she was nervous or anxious. She thought about just letting it go, and waiting Waverly out, but they didn’t have a lot of time before morning. When they turned the corner at Shorty’s, she finally asked, “What is it, Wave?”

 

Waverly was quiet for another moment before she murmured, “Nothing new. I just, I don’t want you to leave.”

 

Cole felt a surge of emotions. Guilt, fear, and regret warred with the warm, tender love Waverly’s words inspired inside her. She didn’t want to leave either, but she knew she had to and Waverly knew that too. She just had to remind Waverly she had every intention of coming back. “I know, baby,” Cole began, pulling Waverly to the side of the street, so they could stand together; so, Cole could look Waverly in the eyes as she said, “Waverly Earp, I won’t promise you that I’ll come back. You’re too smart for that, but what I can promise you, is that I will do anything and everything in my power to come back, to you. Do you understand?”

 

Cole watched Waverly as a myriad of emotions crossed Waverly’s face. At first, Waverly seemed hurt and confused, but as Cole continued Waverly took on an air of resolute confidence, the kind that comes from understanding that there’s no right answer to their situation. Cole relaxed a little when Waverly finally nodded, sort of sadly. Cole just wanted to kiss that sullen look of Waverly’s face and after taking a quick glance around, she brought her hand up under Waverly’s ducked chin and tipped it back up. When their eyes met again, Cole smiled and whispered, “Would it be alright if I kissed you right now?”

 

Waverly grinned suddenly and closed the distance between them in a rush and Cole couldn’t help but smile into their kiss. It was everything, all the fear and guilt and love and passion that they felt, surging between them, and even though the kiss probably would have seemed tame and mundane to anyone who might come upon them, Cole felt like she might pass out as Waverly’s feelings washed over her. The heat was in the way Waverly’s breath huffed against Cole’s face; the love in the way Waverly oh-so-easily returned Cole’s smiling kiss; the fear in the way that Waverly’s one hand clung to Cole’s wrist almost desperately; the guilt in the way Cole caught a running tear on Waverly’s cheek with a swipe of her thumb.

 

Yes, to anyone just passing by, their kiss might have seemed innocent, if it hadn’t gone on for far, far longer that polite society necessarily allowed. Neither one of them wanted to pull away, but someone nearby cleared their throat and Cole managed to draw herself back, deftly swiping another tear from Waverly’s face before taking her hand away. Waverly was still clutching tightly to her wrist, but Cole didn’t let that stop her from turning towards the intruder, to find Wynonna leaning over the railing of Shorty’s, a bit further away than Cole had expected, smirking at them expectantly.

 

Waverly seemed to break out of her haze at the sight of her sister, snapping loudly, “Ugh, Wynonna! Go away!”

 

Wynonna, of course, took that as an invitation to join them, and sauntered over, saying, “What, Waverly? I thought you two might have been stuck like that or something. I swear I was watching a solid minute and neither one of you moved. It was sorta creepy.”

 

“God, Wynonna. It’s called a moment. We were having a moment. You know, you’d _know_ what those were if you’d just get over yourself and tell Doc how you feel about him,” Waverly spat, letting go of Cole’s wrist to ball her fist up instead.

 

Cole could see where this might be headed, but she definitely didn’t feel like it was her place to get in between the sisters. She was pretty sure Waverly wouldn’t actually hit Wynonna and that was reinforced when Wynonna immediately threw her hands up in surrender and said, “Hey, no reason to bring that up, again. You know the deal there just as well as I do?”

 

Waverly relaxed slightly, hands opening and closing a couple times before she crossed her arms across her chest and replied dryly, “Yeah I do, but you never know, he might surprise you, or maybe, you might surprise yourself.”

 

Wynonna relaxed a little too, dropping her hands and her shoulders, and for moment Cole thought she looked defeated, but after a breath or two, she straightened. “Yeah, yeah,” she said, trying to sound casual, when it was more than obvious to Cole that she trying to hide the tightness in her voice. “Maybe, I’ll just go back in there and just kiss him then. That’d sure surprise him,” Wynonna added, thumbing over her shoulder, gesturing towards Shorty’s.

 

Waverly didn’t say anything immediately and Cole couldn’t stop herself, clearing her throat before finally speaking up, “What’s the worst that could happen?”

 

Wynonna didn’t readily have an answer for that and Cole just looked at her expectantly, waiting for a response that never came. A beat or two later, a slow grin spread over Wynonna’s face, slitting her from ear to ear, a smile Cole recognized all too well from Waverly and when Wynonna turned on her heel and strode back to the saloon, without another word, Cole wasn’t the least bit surprised.

 

Cole took a step back to Waverly and immediately slid a hand around to rest on the small of Waverly’s back. Waverly seemed to melt into the touch, turning easily into Cole’s embrace, again. Cole smiled, and Waverly returned it and it was almost like Wynonna hadn’t even interrupted them. Cole pressed a little closer and whispered in Waverly’s ear, “Maybe, we should get the rest of my affairs in order, so we can have a little affair of our own.”

 

For just a second, Cole thought Waverly might faint, as Waverly drooped against her and clutched at Cole with both hands, but Cole quickly recognized the fire she had lit in Waverly’s eyes. Cole grinned fiercely as she added, “Come on then, love. Let’s go to Gray’s. You can help me pick out some new clothes.”

 

As they walked, Cole was thinking of the first time they had spoken, and from the smile on Waverly’s face, she was thinking about it, too. Cole couldn’t help but smile as she commented, “You know I meant to buy the black duster the other day, but you were just standing there, looking at me like, like you are right now. I was helpless to resist you, even then.”

 

Waverly snickered beside her and said, “Doesn’t seem to me you’re too upset about that.”

 

“Not at all, baby, not one bit,” Cole replied, as they continued on down the street.

 

~~~

 

The trip into Gray’s wasn’t very exciting, as there wasn’t really much to choose from. Cole picked up the two shirts and the single pair of jeans he had on hand that were her size. She thought about asking Gray to order her another pair of jeans or maybe some workman’s pants, but since she was going back to Dodge anyway, she figured she could just look at the stores there if she got the chance.

 

In the dry goods section of the store, Cole grabbed a small bag of oats for Jane for the trip to Dodge and thinking of Jane, Cole suddenly remembered Waverly whispering instructions in her horse’s ear. Even though she probably already knew what was said, she simply had to ask anyway, “Hey, what was all that at the stable with you and Jane? Should I be jealous?” Waverly quickly hid her face in her hands and Cole had to know now, quickly adding, “Oh, now you definitely have to tell me?”

 

Waverly shook her head a couple times before finally mumbling, “I was just making her, certain promises.” She uncovered her face a little and Cole beamed, delighted to see the blush that had risen in Waverly’s cheeks.

 

“What kind of promises, huh?” Cole asked, all coy and husky and low and Waverly flushed even hotter.

 

Waverly started mumbling, rambling really, as she slid in close to half hide her face in Cole’s chest, “Like that I’d make sure she got something sweet every day for the rest of her life if she brought you back safely. And, I’d brush her every day after you get back. And, maybe, that I’d buy her a new saddle blanket once you both came back. That I’d do anything to have you both to just…”

 

By the time Waverly’s voice finally trailed off, her chest was heaving against Cole’s and Cole could tell she was very close to sobbing right there in the store. They stood there for a few minutes while Waverly sniffled, Cole just holding her and rocking back and forth, trying to just be there while she could.

 

Gray seemed sort of concerned when Cole and Waverly approached the counter arm-in-arm a few minutes later but didn’t comment on their near break-down in the dry goods aisle. Instead, he simply wrapped her new clothes in butcher’s paper like he had her items the other day. After only a few, brief well wishes for her trip to Dodge, and an exchange of money, of course, Cole and Waverly were making their way back to Shorty’s, because even though she didn’t want to, Cole knew she had to pack up if she was going to be ready to leave in the morning.

 

~~~

 

Cole could feel Waverly watching her from her perch on the edge of the bed, as she carefully folded, and then rolled her clothes. Cole figured they would take up less space, that way. Normally, she would just stuff it all down in her rucksack or her saddlebag and be done with it, but now that she had more than just one set to stow in the bag, she felt like some organization would be appropriate. Well, that and she was kind of trying to drag it out. It was probably foolish, but there was a part of Cole that thought that if she took her time packing then it wouldn’t feel so sudden when morning came.

 

Waverly sniffled behind her, but Cole didn’t turn to see if Waverly was crying. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to hold her own self together if she saw Waverly crying just then. She simply turned toward the washstand and began to wrap up her toiletries and sundries, as they were. There was a half-used bar of lye soap, a straight razor and shaving brush that Cole had never used, and a waxed leather pouch half full of talcum powder, for chaffing. She turned back to her bags and tucked those items down into a little partition in one side of her saddle bags.

 

Cole heard Waverly shift behind her and thought maybe she had simply lain down or had scratched an itch or something, but then Waverly’s arms laced around her waist and her little body pressed so close against Cole’s back. Cole sighed into the embrace. She brought her own hands up to cover Waverly’s and slid her hands back and forth along her arms. Waverly squeezed tighter for a moment, but then loosened and Cole could feel Waverly urging her to turn around. Cole did just that and a moment later Waverly had her face buried in Cole’s neck. Now, Cole knew Waverly had been crying, as Waverly’s face pressed so tightly against her neck it left Cole’s skin wet. It was too much to bear. All Cole could do was wrap her arms around Waverly’s head and shoulders and rest her chin on Waverly’s head as they both cried together.

 

Several minutes later, Cole finally started to get ahold of herself and began shushing Waverly quietly and swaying them back and forth. “Hey, Wave, look at me,” Cole whispered, only for Waverly to shake her head frantically and burrow deeper into the hollow of Cole’s throat. Cole sighed, but decided as long as she had Waverly’s attention, she didn’t really need to look in her eyes. “Alright, just listen then. The way I see it we’ve got two options here. We can, can be sad about tomorrow or… we can be happy about today, but either way tomorrow is gonna come whether we want it to or not. So, what do you think? Do you wanna go lay down in bed and wallow for the rest of the night? Or… do wanna have dinner with me and then, maybe some dancing?”

 

Cole felt Waverly shift, her watery lips pressing against the skin of Cole’s throat. She shivered as those lips moved further up and further up until their lips met in long slow kiss. Waverly tasted like salt and sweet and for just a second Cole wondered how Waverly tasted, everywhere. It was totally inappropriate to be thinking about that with Waverly still crying into their kiss, but Cole made a promise to herself right then that, tonight, she wouldn’t think about tomorrow or about leaving or about anything other than Waverly. And, she wouldn’t let Waverly think about tomorrow either. She was going to focus on making tonight the best night of Waverly’s life, because tomorrow, and everything that came with it, could wait.

 

~~~

 

Eventually, they separated. Cole finished packing while Waverly laid on the bed and relaxed. Just as Cole was tucking the last bit of her gear into the saddle bags, there was a knock at the door. Cole glanced over at Waverly just to make sure she was alright with Cole answering the door, and with a nod from Waverly, Cole opened the door to find Gus standing on the other side.

 

“Cole, I thought y’all might wanna know. I’m making a big dinner for the whole lot of you. It’ll be done in about a half hour, so come on down when you’re ready,” Gus said, in her usual no-nonsense tone.

 

Cole smiled at her easily, knowing Gus wasn’t one to mince words, and said, “Sounds good, Gus. We’ll be down in a few minutes.” Gus gave her a little smile and a nod and then was gone.

 

Cole turned back to find Waverly staring at her, with a curious look on her face. Cole couldn’t help but ask about it, saying, “What’s that look, baby?”

 

Waverly grinned, but said nothing, simply gestured for Cole to come sit by her on the bed. Cole complied, how could she not, and when she was within arms-reach, Waverly gripped her shirt tightly and pulled her down for a kiss. It was nothing like the soppy, teary kiss from before. It was all lips and teeth and tongue, and Cole couldn’t hold in the hissing groan she released when Waverly bit down, almost too sharply, on her bottom lip.

 

Just as quickly as it began though, it was over. Waverly was pushing her away and standing up and striding over to the washstand. Cole felt like she’d just been in a tornado, all whipped around inside. Cole stammered as she regained her feet, “Wha-what?” slowly pushing herself across the small room towards Waverly.

 

When Cole had almost reached her, Waverly whipped around again, that wide, cheeky grin on her face and said, “Just a preview. You know, I hope you can sleep in the saddle tomorrow, because you’re not gonna be getting much sleep tonight.”

 

Cole just stood there, jaw hanging open as Waverly pressed up on her toes to kiss her cheek. Waverly flitted around the room for a moment more, dress swishing slightly with each movement, before she moved towards the door and said, “Let’s go, I’m hungry.” Cole had a snappy comeback for that, somewhere on the tip of her tongue, but when she caught Waverly’s fiery gaze, her throat dried up and she wasn’t sure she could even breath under that heated stare. Cole was thankful when Waverly took a little pity on her and crossed back to her and sweetly said, “Come on, stud. You promised me dinner and dancing first.”

 

Cole sort of came to at that, nodding as she said, “Yes, yes I did. But to be honest, I’m really just looking forward to more of what you just promised me.” Cole watched as a shiver traveled along Waverly’s body at the thought of later. Feeling proud of herself for turning the little tease back on Waverly, Cole couldn’t stop herself from adding, “And… just so’s you know I sleep sitting up just about as good as I do laying down, so don’t you worry about that.”

 

~~~

 

When they finally made their way downstairs, Cole was pleased to find Wynonna and Doc in tight conversation, Doc hanging on Wynonna’s every word. Cole nudged Waverly at the sight and Waverly sputtered a laugh, immediately turning them towards the bar instead her sister. Cole expected to find Gus standing behind the bar, but there was the man from her first night in town with a big, easy smile on his face. Cole noted that he was watching Doc and Wynonna’s close proximity as they approched, but when his eyes fixed on Waverly and herself, Cole blushed under his knowing gaze. When they finally reached the bar, he was first to speak, “Gus says dinner’ll be ready in just a minute.” He paused just long enough to thrust his hand out over the bar, and added, “I’m Curtis, by the way, Gus’ husband.”

 

Cole immediately moved to take his hand, saying, “Pleased to meet you, sir. I’m Cole Haught.”

 

“Curtis is fine, son. From what I understand we’re practically family now anyway, so you don’t need to be so formal,” Curtis replied, easy grin still solidly in place.

 

“Of course, Curtis,” Cole replied with a little nod.

 

Cole could feel a little awkwardness seeping into the air around them. Thankfully, Gus had good timing, though bursting in through the door that lead to the saloon’s kitchen, arms full of plates and silverware. Cole instinctually moved to help Gus, offering, “Here, Gus, let me set the table.”

 

Gus grumbled, “Alright then, but only because I need to get back to check the biscuits.”

 

Cole took the plates and such easily enough, setting it all down on one of the larger tables. She laid out the plates and the knives and forks and spoons, only realizing once she was finished that she was setting the table for eight. Doing the math in her head, Cole figured that there were probably two more people joining them and that’s when Nedley’s booming laugh echoed behind her. Cole spun quickly, finding the Sheriff, and a younger woman who could presumably his wife, standing with Doc and Wynonna, all sharing the laugh. Waverly’s arm slid around her waist a moment later and Cole relaxed into the embrace, throwing her own arm over Waverly’s shoulder as they approached the other two couples.

 

Cole was especially aware of how Doc kept one hand on Wynonna’s waist as he shook her hand. Wynonna actually surprised the hell out of her, throwing her arms around Cole’s neck, hugging her tight, and mumbling, “Thanks,” in a voice low enough Cole knew it was just for her. Wynonna pulled back with a wide smile on her face, right back into Doc’s waiting arm.

 

Nedley was next to draw Cole’s attention, introducing his companion, “Cole, this is my daughter, Chrissy.”

 

Cole was gracious enough to take Chrissy’s hand when she offered it, but she couldn’t help the blush that rose in her cheeks. She had assumed that Nedley’s daughter was his wife, but now that she really looked at them it should have been obvious. They had the same eyes and same strong chin, not to mention the same laugh, only Chrissy’s was higher pitched. Cole was getting to experience plenty of that laugh as Chrissy spoke up between guffaws, “You thought I was his wife, didn’t you?”

 

Cole merely shrugged, as Waverly settled back into her side. Cole felt a little relief from the contact, but then Nedley joined in on the joke, saying, “You know Chrissy, I don’t know if that’s a compliment to me or an insult to you…” His voice trailed off like he was deep in thought about the subject.

 

Thankfully, Chrissy didn’t seem to be cruel-spirited about the possibly perceived insult, and let Cole off the hook, as she replied, “Come on, Dad, that’s a compliment to both of us. No woman in their right mind would turn down a man like you.”

 

Nedley simply chuckled a little and said, “Yeah, yeah. Why don’t we get settled in to eat? You know how Gus gets if the food gets cold.”

 

The Sheriff shot Cole a little smirk as he and Chrissy passed her on the way to the table she had just set for all of them. Wynonna and Doc followed closely behind, Doc whispering something in Wynonna’s ear as they passed. Waverly squeezed her arm and Cole looked down at her to find Waverly grinning at her. “Don’t worry about Chrissy. She likes you already, I can tell,” Waverly whispered, before dragging Cole back over to the dinner table.

 

Cole glanced around once they were all in their seats. The saloon obviously wasn’t closed for business, as there were several ‘regulars’ Cole had seen around, but when Curtis and Gus came over to the table, arms laden with food, Gus turned to the room and said, “If you need anything, you know where it is, just don’t interrupt my supper or you’ll be in for it.” There were a few non-committal grunts and a couple waves, but no one in the room seemed like this was anything out of the ordinary.

 

As they all ate and chatted and drank, Cole noticed a few of the other people in the saloon dip into the back or slink behind the counter, but not a one of them approached their table. Many of them even went so far as to leave money on the counter on their way by. Cole marveled at how trusting Gus and Curtis were with their business, but she figured everybody knew everybody in a place like Purgatory, so if you stiffed the only saloon in town, everyone in town was sure to know about it by the next afternoon.

 

Cole only realized her mind had been drifting when Waverly tugged lightly at her sleeve and whispered, “Cole, you alright?”

 

“Of course, baby,” Cole whispered back, turning her attention back to the conversation around her once again. She listened as Chrissy told a story about a funny thing one of her students at the schoolhouse had said that day. She watched as Gus scolded Wynonna about waiting so long to admit how she felt about Doc, and then Cole chuckled as Gus gave pretty much the same speech to Doc not five minutes later. She even got caught in the middle of a debate between Doc and Nedley about whether dynamite was an effective interrogation tool or not. Cole definitely sided with Nedley on that one, finally interjecting with a sense of finality, “Dynamite is only good at one thing, Doc, blowing things up. Unless you’re trying to blow something up, don’t use dynamite.” Doc simply shrugged and turned his attention back to Wynonna instead.

 

It wasn’t long after that, that dinner was all eaten and gone, each person around the table expressing their satisfaction and appreciation for the meal. Cole was satisfied and appreciative too, but she couldn’t help but notice how quiet Waverly had gotten throughout the meal. Cole could tell she was thinking, probably about tomorrow and what would happen, and Cole quickly decided it was time for a distraction, calling out, “Anybody else feel like dancing?”

 

Waverly instantly perked up at that, turning to Curtis to ask, “Will you play for us?”

 

Curtis nodded, and started to get up from the table, only to have Chrissy reach across and say, “Curtis, you go ahead and dance with your wife. It’s been a while, but I think I still remember how to play.”

 

Cole noticed how grateful Curtis looked as he escorted Gus over towards what little space there was surrounding the saloon’s piano. Waverly was eagerly dragging Cole across the room as well and it seemed like Wynonna and Doc were going to join them, despite Wynonna’s loud protests.

 

Chrissy did seem a little rusty, striking an off key here and there in the beginning, but nobody seemed to mind. Cole tucked Waverly into her body as they moved together to the slow, steady rhythm. It wasn’t quite the magical first dance they’d had in Cole’s room upstairs, but feeling Waverly up against her, had Cole feeling some sort of way anyway. It was hard to describe, like all the love in the world was right there in the room with them. Curtis and Gus seemed to be having the time of their lives, chatting and laughing as they swayed back and forth together. Even Wynonna and Doc seemed as happy as they could be. They still seemed a little awkward, but Cole caught them looking at each other with a deep longing that wouldn’t be denied, and she knew what they had was special. Even Nedley looked pleased, watching his daughter, his face filled with pride.

 

Waverly burrowed deeper into her, if that was even possible, like Waverly couldn’t get close enough. Cole simply hugged Waverly tight too, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Cole felt Waverly sigh against her chest and the heat of her breath was like a lance of fire trembling its way down Cole’s body. Cole was convinced Waverly was doing it on purpose, especially when Waverly’s head perked up and that cheeky grin was already in place. Cole shook her head a little and pulled Waverly in a little tighter, lifting her feet off the floor just a bit. Waverly almost squealed at the sensation, burying her face in Cole’s neck and pressing her lips hard into Cole’s skin, which was pretty much the reaction Cole was hoping for. With Waverly pressed in that close, it was more than easy to whisper low enough no one else would hear, “Wave, baby, let’s go to bed.”

 

Waverly sank against Cole, head tilting back until their eyes met and shyly said, “Oh, I- I have to talk to Wynonna a minute first, alright?”

 

Cole couldn’t think of a reason to argue, didn’t even try really, merely nodded, before pressing her lips to Waverly’s. Cole watched as Waverly scampered over to Wynonna and Doc and after a moment or two of trying to break them apart, and then obviously deciding she’d physically have to get between them to get them to separate. It was probably one of the funniest things Cole had ever seen, watching Waverly literally squirm her way in between Wynonna and Doc. There was shoving and cursing and whining, but eventually, Waverly managed to shove Wynonna away from Doc and out the front door of the saloon. They didn’t go far, only a little way down the railing, but Cole kept her eye on them. The last thing she needed tonight was any sort of action or villainy that might keep her away from her bed, and away from Waverly.

 

Doc’s voice, gruff and close, surprised Cole. “You can guess what they’re talking about…” Doc said, words trailing off like the point was obvious. Cole merely looked over her shoulder at him and shrugged, mostly because she hadn’t a clue what they could possibly be talking about. Luckily for Cole, Doc was willing to enlighten her, explaining, “They’re talking logistics. Who’s going back to the homestead and who’s staying here?”

 

“But-” was out of Cole’s mouth before she could really even process what he was saying.

 

Doc seemed ready enough to elaborate though, pushing past her words cutting short to add, “I’m betting you and Waverly end up at the homestead, but you never know. Did Waverly take you out there yet?”

 

Cole just shook her head, because to be honest she didn’t really know where Waverly lived. She had assumed Waverly lived in town, if not over the saloon, then on the second floor of one of the other buildings in town. This was the first she’d heard of a homestead. Where was it? Who owned it? Would it- Would it be a place where she and Waverly could both live when she came back from Dodge? All these questions came rushing over Cole and she suddenly realized how little she and Waverly really did know about each other.

 

“It’s alright, Cole. Sometimes you can’t help feeling the way you do. Take it from me, from my own personal experience, don’t fight it. If you love that girl, let yourself. Life’s too short for second guessing and regrets,” Doc rambled beside her, both of them staring out the front window, watching their girls argue over who was not-sleeping where. It seemed Doc wasn’t quite done though, as he quietly added, “And thanks, by the way. I don’t know what you said to Wynonna today, but she came in here this afternoon after catching you and Waverly out on the street and kissed me like… like she was never gonna kiss anybody else ever again. It was…”

 

“Yeah,” Cole replied, easily, when Doc’s words trailed off again. “I asked her what was the worst that could happen?”

 

Doc chuckled at that, grimacing as he said, “Well, probably worst case is Wyatt shots me when he finds out. He’s very protective over his girls.”

 

Cole shrugged a little at that, replying, “I don’t know about that. Just wait ‘til he sees how happy you make her. He won’t have a leg to stand on.”

 

Doc clapped her on the shoulder and said, “Well, I’ll make sure you’re around when I tell him, just in case.”

 

“Don’t worry, Doc. I’ve got your back,” Cole replied, turning towards him, with her hand extended.

 

He shook it with a firm grip, saying, “Watch yourself, son, I just might hold you to that.”

 

~~~

 

Ultimately, it was decided that Wynonna and Doc would venture out to the homestead for the night. Doc and Cole watched Waverly and Wynonna talk (read: argue) on the porch at Shorty’s for over a half hour, before they finally ventured out to see if they could shed any light on the discussion. Waverly really wanted to take Cole back to her home, but it was actually Wynonna who finally convinced Waverly to wait, saying, “But, Wave, don’t you think taking Cole out to the homestead will better as a homecoming than a going away?”

 

It seemed Waverly had no immediate argument for that, so Cole piped up with, “I don’t care where I get to spend the night with you as long as I do, Wave.” Waverly shot Cole a look that was, at first, wholly confusing for Cole. It wasn’t a defeated sort of look, more like resignation, and Cole decided that they’d have to talk about that look before moving on with their evening.

 

There were goodnights all around. To Wynonna and Doc as they left out the front door towards the stables. To Randy and Chrissy as they headed off the opposite direction in a small, mule-drawn wagon. To Gus and Curtis as they slunk out the back door. To the few straggling customers, who stumbled their way down the street one way or the other, when Waverly finally told them it was time to head home for the night.

 

Before long, the entire place was empty, except for Cole and Waverly. Cole stood patiently at the bottom of the stairs while Waverly locked up. She watched Waverly flit around the room, straightening up chairs as she made her way to the front door. She was humming and swishing her hips as she went and to Cole it seemed almost like whatever darkness had passed over Waverly earlier was gone, but when she turned to Cole and that look was back. It was like Waverly wasn’t just sad about Cole leaving in the morning; there was something else there.

 

Knowing they didn’t have time to mince words or be necessarily gentle about things, Cole simply put it out there, as they made their way up the stairs, “Why was it so important to you that we go to your place tonight?” It came out softer than Cole had really intended, but something in Waverly’s glance her way, says it was just right.

 

Waverly sniffled a little, and ducked her head, obviously trying to avoid Cole’s gazer as she mumbled, “I thought maybe, if we, you know, and in my room, my bed, it would, it would make this real.”

 

Cole couldn’t not smile at that, instantly asking, “This isn’t real?” She kept her tone light and a little teasing, because truly, she knew what Waverly meant, she just couldn’t believe it. Staying in a rented room, falling in love so fast, the lover leaving on a dangerous mission, even Cole had to admit their romance sounded like something out of a dime novel, but this, what she had with Waverly, was probably the most real thing Cole would ever experience and she knew it. Deep down, Cole knew, that Waverly was it for her.

 

When Waverly looked back up at her, a little bit hurt, Cole only smiled wider and said, “I’ve meant every word I’ve said to you, Waverly Earp, every, single one. I- I love you, and when I’m with you, I feel like I’m finally home, so it really doesn’t matter to me where we are, or how long we’ve known each other, or anything else, ‘cause this is it for me.”

 

They had long since reached the top of the stairs, but neither one of them made any attempt to move further down the hallway. Both of them were too wrapped up in Cole’s words to continue putting one foot in front of the other. When Waverly didn’t look up at her though, Cole easily took both of Waverly’s hands in her own, and softly but firmly, said, “This, being with you, that’s all the reality I need.”

 

Cole heard another little sniffle and watched as Waverly shoulders heaved slightly. Cole squeezed Waverly’s hands in her own, before interlacing their fingers together and beginning to lead them down the hallway. When they got to Cole’s door, she thought about stopping and asking Waverly if she still wanted to spend the night together, but when she started to stop, Waverly kept going, bumping into her slightly.

 

Waverly looked up at her then with a questioning stare and said, “Do you not... want-” Cole was kissing her before she could stop herself, before Waverly could even finish her thought, much less her question. There was no way she was going to let Waverly think what she was thinking for even one more second. When Cole pulled back, slightly breathless from the kiss, Waverly’s smile was beaming back at her. An easy, “Alright, then,” fell from Waverly’s lips before she reached out and opened the door.

 

~~~

 

Cole lead Waverly into her room, right over to the bed, gesturing for Waverly to sit on the edge. Cole watched as Waverly’s eyes went wide as Cole knelt on one knee in front of her. From the glint in Waverly’s eye, Cole recognized immediately where Waverly’s imagination was taking her, given Cole’s current position. Waverly was thinking about a ring and to be honest, Cole hadn’t really thought about it, but something in Waverly’s eyes told her that she should look for a one while she was in Dodge. Cole pushed away those thoughts for the moment though, as she brushed aside the hem of Waverly’s dress. Cole had originally knelt in this position to take off Waverly’s low-heeled boots and set herself back on task with a little shake of her head.

 

Waverly caught on pretty quickly to what she was doing, lifting her feet at the right times to help Cole slip off her boots. Cole delighted in the little hitches of Waverly’s breath as she gripped her calves to strip away her socks as well. Once barefoot, Cole stroked up and down Waverly’s calves with her fingertips, excited when she felt Waverly’s skin covered in gooseflesh in her wake. Waverly was staring down into her eyes, as Cole removed her hands from under Waverly’s skirt and started to remove her own boots. Cole glanced down trying to focus, but a second later Waverly’s hands were on her shoulders, pushing her back. “Let me,” Waverly whispered, as she kept her hands on Cole’s shoulders, until they were both standing again.

 

Waverly knelt this time, and something about the vision of Waverly on her knees in front of her had Cole’s heart racing in her chest. Maybe it was the way Waverly glanced up at her through her eyelashes, affecting an air of innocence, or maybe it was the way Waverly hummed as she worked, or maybe it was the way Waverly seemed to truly enjoy undressing her. It was a little overwhelming. Cole felt her knees weaken when Waverly finished taking off boots and socks and immediately took the opportunity her position afforded her, wrapping her arms around Cole’s legs and nuzzling her face against the inseam of Cole’s jeans.

 

Cole’s hands instantly went to Waverly’s hair, clutching to the honey-brown locks for stability. Waverly mewled into the pressure, brushing her nose over Cole’s jeans again. Cole, for her part, felt like she was about to fall over and instinctively tugged up on Waverly’s hair. She sighed as Waverly easily followed her lead.

 

Cole wrapped her arms around Waverly, pulling her in for the most tender of embraces, before pulling back slightly to meet Waverly’s eyes. There was so much love and trust in those eyes that Cole didn’t even think about breaking the moment to ask permission. She simply slid her hands up in between them and started undoing the buttons on the front of Waverly’s dress. A few moments later, Cole slipped her hands up again to brush the garment off Waverly’s shoulders. Waverly giggled a little as it fell in a heap at her feet. Cole smiled as she knelt again, sweeping the dress out from around Waverly’s feet, before standing again and draping the dress over the back of the lone chair in the room.

 

Cole barely had time to get turned back around before Waverly’s hands were on her, pulling at her shirt. Cole just laughed into the contact, but it wasn’t ten seconds later before Waverly was pushing her shirt off her own shoulders. Waverly’s hands moved down to her belt buckle just as Cole began moving to undo the laces on the back of Waverly’s bustier. Deft fingers worked in unison, and from there it wasn’t long before Waverly was standing before Cole in nothing but her bloomers, and Cole was in just her chest binding and long shorts.

 

Waverly pressed in close then, both her hands moving up Cole’s mostly bare back to her binding. With a slip and tug, it came loose enough for Waverly get her hands underneath it and Cole gasped as Waverly’s hands moved around her front under the fabric. Waverly’s hands squeezed at her breasts and Cole arched into the firm touch, her body rocking against Waverly’s in the process. Cole could feel her nipples tightening under Waverly’s squeezing fingers, and suddenly Cole couldn’t wait to feel Waverly’s hands everywhere.

 

Cole pulled back enough to shrug the binding off, her hands flying to her own long shorts when the fabric around her chest finally fell away. Waverly’s hands covered her own a moment later, and Cole blushed at her sudden impatience. She relinquished her hold on her long shorts to Waverly’s soft hands, bringing her hands to rest gently on Waverly’s bare waist instead. Waverly shivered at the contact, but obviously didn’t let it distract her too much from the task at hand. A tug on the drawstring and a slip of fabric and Cole’s long shorts fell to the ground with the rest of her clothes.

 

Cole groaned when the cooler air of the room finally made contact with every last inch of her body. She spun herself, and Waverly along with her, until she could sit on the edge of the bed, her hands still holding Waverly’s waist steady in front of her. She teased her finger tips down to brush the waistband of Waverly’s bloomers. She looked up into Waverly’s eyes as her fingers slipped under the last stitch of clothing between them. Waverly offered Cole the warmest of smiles and a small nod, before Cole finally slipped the bloomers down over Waverly’s hips and legs.

 

Cole was instantly overwhelmed by a smell so acutely Waverly that she felt almost dizzy from her sweet, rich musk, with just the barest hint of brine. Cole leaned in to place a kiss to Waverly’s trembling stomach before lying back, pulling Waverly down onto the bed as she went.

 

They laid side by side for just a moment, pressed tightly against each other, legs and arms intertwined, simply enjoying the new closeness. Cole ran her fingertips over Waverly’s body like she was touching something precious, and the truth was this was precious. Cole wasn’t sure she’d ever done anything as important as this, as important of showing Waverly just how much she was loved. Cole drew her fingers over every inch of Waverly’s skin she could reach. Down her side and over her ribs and up her neck and down over the outer edge of one of her breasts, Waverly humming and sighing and moaning into each new sensation. Cole couldn’t imagine a more perfect moment.

 

Finally, having exhausted the reach of her fingers in this position, Cole shifted, guiding Waverly over onto her back. Cole quickly took up her exploration again, only this time with her mouth. She kissed over Waverly’s neck and shoulder, slid her tongue down Waverly’s chest, between her pert, little breasts and over the tense muscles of her stomach. By the time, Cole circled back to Waverly’s breasts, Waverly was writhing underneath her, arching into the press of Cole’s lips and teeth and tongue, moaning each time Cole sucked a new patch of skin into her mouth. When Cole finally latched her lips around one of Waverly’s nipples, Waverly cried out beneath her, hands instantly gripping Cole’s upper arms as Cole braced herself against the bed.

 

Cole sucked and licked and teased the tight peak of Waverly’s breast until Waverly was panting and whimpering. “Cole, please,” Waverly sighed, hands sliding over Cole’s shoulders and up into her hair. Waverly’s nails scratched at her scalp as Cole moved to envelope Waverly’s other nipple in her mouth. Cole could tell Waverly was trying to push her explorations further down her body, but Cole wasn’t quite done enjoying the little moans and whimpers she was drawing out of Waverly. She grazed her teeth over Waverly’s nipple and the hands in Cole’s hair clenched into fists as Waverly called out, “COLE, please!”

 

The desperation in Waverly’s tone drove Cole to finally move on, but not before she sucked Waverly’s nipple into her mouth one more time, drawing out another long moan, sucking a little harder as she pulled away. Waverly’s nipple popped out of her mouth with a wet ‘smack’ of Cole’s lips and her body shook as Cole immediately began kissing her way down again. Waverly’s hands flexed and clenched in her hair with each press of lips to skin.

 

Cole hummed as she finally placed a kiss to Waverly’s mound and a soft relieved sigh followed from above her. She felt heady and intoxicated by the heavy scent of Waverly, stronger than ever in that moment. She shifted her body down, so she was laying between Waverly’s legs, and when Waverly’s thighs fell open before her, Cole couldn’t help but stare into the paradise that was Waverly’s sex. She ran her fingers over the inside of Waverly’s thigh, marveling at the way Waverly’s hips jumped at the lightest of touches. Cole smiled against the skin of Waverly’s inner thigh, and Waverly’s breath hitched when she deftly slid her hands under Waverly’s thighs.

 

Waverly’s core petaled open then, outer lips swollen outwards to reveal the hot flush of deep pink in between. Cole could easily see how aroused Waverly was, and couldn’t stop herself from pushing forward to slide her tongue over the glistening wetness dripping from Waverly’s entrance. She gasped and the sharp intact had Waverly’s breath hitching again. Waverly tasted even better than she smelled. It was an invigorating feeling, tracing her tongue over Waverly’s outer lips, and feeling Waverly chase her touch.

 

Waverly hissed, and her fists clenched hard in Cole’s hair when Cole grazed her clit for the first time. Cole followed the flick of her tongue with an opened mouthed kiss to the straining bud. She focused her attention there for a few moments, reveling in the feeling of Waverly’s flesh twitching and throbbing against her lips. A wild moan erupted from Waverly and a fresh wave of wetness coated Cole’s chin. She immediately dipped down to run her tongue over Waverly’s entrance, and the slick that was flowing freely from it. Waverly moaned and arched, forcing more contact with Cole’s mouth. Cole pushed her tongue out to delve deeper, instantly loving the feeling of the tight ring of muscles at Waverly’s entrance shiver and flex against her firm probing.

 

“Oh yes, Cole, please,” Waverly panted above her, her nails dragging over Cole’s scalp again as Cole finally dipped her tongue fully inside.

 

It was an incredible feeling, being inside Waverly like that, but Cole couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed. She wanted to be able to push further inside, wanted to explore every cress and crevice this way. She wanted to taste Waverly straight from the source, wanted to know what it felt like to be buried so deep inside Waverly that neither one of them was sure where one of them ended and the other began. But sadly, Cole could only tease the depths of Waverly this way. She wasn’t going to let that stop her though. Cole brought her mouth back up to the swollen bud of Waverly’s clit and lightly sucked it into her mouth as she brought one of her hands back down from under Waverly’s thigh.

 

When her fingertips brushed Waverly’s opening, Cole had to hold on for dear life, as Waverly bucked wildly into her face. She curled her one arm around Waverly’s thigh and braced it over one of Waverly’s hips, trying to steady her, even as Cole drew her fingers through Waverly’s slick. Cole’s first finger sunk into Waverly’s opening like it was made to be there, like they were two pieces of the same puzzle. When she curled her finger and started to withdraw, Waverly’s back arched as her insides tried desperately to hold Cole in place. When Cole went to thrust back in, she brought a second finger to Waverly’s opening, and as both her fingers slid inside, Waverly gasped at the change in pressure.

 

Cole groaned at how tightly Waverly was clenching and fluttering around her fingers. She began to move her fingers in and out, trying to find a rhythm that moved with the now constant circling of Waverly’s hips. She figured that Waverly wasn’t far from her peak, especially with the way Waverly was gasping and moaning and cursing and panting. “Shit, Cole, ugh, yes, please, hah, hah, please, more,” drifted haltingly down from Waverly’s lips and Cole didn’t even consider going against Waverly’s wishes. She swept her tongue over Waverly’s clit before she abandoned the tiny nub. Waverly groaned at the loss, but it choked off into a whine when Cole withdrew her fingers as well. She quickly began to run three of her fingers through Waverly’s dripping wetness. Waverly bucked into the contact and Cole groaned as she slowly thrust all three fingers in as deep as they would go, curling them against the spongy spot along the front wall of Waverly’s sex when she was finally buried to the hilt.

 

Cole pulled her fingers almost all the way out, before slowly thrusting them back in again, repeating the action steadily faster and faster until she worked up a solid rhythm. Her position afforded her a stunning view of Waverly’s sex clinging to her fingers as she pulled out only to quickly suck her back in when she thrusted forward again. She curled her fingers against that special spot inside Waverly; the one that made Waverly moan louder each time Cole touched it. Soon, Waverly’s hips were bucking even more wildly under Cole’s ministrations. Cole was forced to press the hand at Waverly’s hip down across her lower belly to keep Waverly from bucking her right off. The added pressure seemed to drive Waverly even more wild, and on the next thrust in, Waverly’s inner muscles contracted so tight Cole could no longer move enough to keep thrusting, but she didn’t stop curling her fingers inside Waverly, chasing each pulsing clench with more stimulation. Waverly’s whole body went rigid beneath her, and Cole quickly dipped down to latch her lips around Waverly’s engorged clit.

 

“SHIT! COLE! YES!” echoed off the walls as Waverly’s body began to shake. Waverly’s sex twitched and throbbed and pulsed and clenched and flexed for what felt like forever before her body finally relaxed underneath Cole’s again.

 

Cole didn’t remove her fingers or her mouth, too entranced by the way Waverly’s inner muscles continued to flutter and contract with every subtle movement she made. It was a long time before Cole could even think about pulling away. She traced her tongue around Waverly’s clit gently, and Waverly jumped every time her tongue made contact. Cole loved how easily Waverly responded to her touch and she was going to enjoy this position as long as Waverly would let her.

 

It was several minutes before Cole felt Waverly pulling at her hair. She reluctantly pulled her fingers out for the last time and was instantly overwhelmed by the amount of silky wetness that clung to her fingers. This was what Cole had been wanting and she couldn’t stop herself from thrusting her fingers into her mouth. She groaned at the taste, stronger than anything she had tasted from Waverly so far and Cole relished in it, sucking her fingers until no trace of Waverly was left on them.

 

Waverly tugged her hair again, and with one last kiss to Waverly’s well used sex, Cole pushed herself up to hover over Waverly’s body again. The sated smile she found on Waverly’s lips was everything she dreamed it would be. The look a sheer bliss on Waverly’s face was worth every second Cole had spent making it happen. Cole wasn’t surprised when Waverly’s arms wrapped loosely around her neck and pulled her down for a kiss. What did surprise Cole, was how much Waverly seemed to enjoy her own flavor on Cole’s lips. Waverly’s tongue darted out, pushing inside Cole’s mouth, and Cole couldn’t control the loud moan that escaped her mouth. Waverly’s tongue lashed out over her chin and her cheeks and then her lips again. Cole got lost in the sensation, relishing in the soft sighs and pleased hums Waverly released as she cleaned Cole’s face of her own release.

 

Before Cole knew what was happening Waverly was rolling her over onto her back. Waverly’s lips began their own slow exploration of Cole’s body. She trembled when Waverly’s lips brushed against her neck for the first time. She gasped when Waverly’s tongue traced the line of her collarbone. Her body jerked up, pressing her breast into Waverly’s mouth when those lips closed around her nipple and sucked at the straining peak. Cole was powerless to resist the pull of Waverly’s mouth, the tender kisses of her lips, and the firm strokes of her tongue, as Waverly worked over her breast.

 

Waverly’s hand grasped her other breast in an almost rough squeeze, and Cole cried out into the room, “God, Wave, Yes.” Waverly simply giggled against her nipple, before drawing the bud back into her mouth with a hard suck. Cole could feel Waverly’s teeth closing in on either side of the already sensitive point, and when Waverly bit down Cole felt like she might pass out from the pleasure that pain could bring. Cole groaned, her hips writhing of their own accord. She brought a hand up to clutch the back of Waverly’s head, holding her to her breast, and whined for “More,” and when Cole felt the edges of Waverly’s teeth again, she sighed in relief as the blunt edges bit down again.

 

Cole had never imagined pain could feel good, but then she thought about how good it felt to have Waverly’s hand clenched tightly in her hair, pulling and tugging, silently asking for what she wanted, Cole’s own fingers flexed in Waverly’s hair in response. Waverly hissed against her nipple and the rush of cold air against overheated flesh drew a loud, strained moan through Cole’s vocal cords. Her body arched, and her free hand flew to Waverly’s shoulder, latching on to the first place she came in contact with, desperate for some way to ground herself in the face of this overwhelming pleasure.

 

Cole was barely hold herself together by the time Waverly moved on from her breasts to kiss and lick and suck her way further down her body. Cole groaned when Waverly tongue dipped into her navel. She moaned when Waverly sucked on the skin covering her hip. She hissed when Waverly’s teeth bit into the flesh of her inner thigh. Her legs were shaking, and her hips were squirming, and her hands were clenching and flexing. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath, instead panting roughly with each of new brush of Waverly’s mouth. She clenched a fist on Waverly’s hair as she managed to choke out, “Wa-Wa-WAVE, ple-” She couldn’t continue, didn’t want to, didn’t need to, when Waverly’s hot breath finally settled over her core.

 

The first tentative brush of Waverly tongue over her sex washed over Cole like a cool drink on a hot day. The relief Cole felt when Waverly settled into her, took Cole by surprise. She hadn’t realized just exactly what she had been so desperate for before, but with Waverly’s tongue firmly tracing, lips harshly sucking, teeth barely scraping, a pressure begin to build deep inside her, and Cole knew what was coming. She was about to take off like a firework, but part of her wanted to savor the feeling of Waverly devouring her. She barely bit back a whine when Waverly moved down, her tongue dipping into Cole’s entrance.

 

 She froze. It wasn’t that she wasn’t expecting it, she just wasn’t expecting how odd it made her feel.

 

Thankfully, Waverly felt her trepidation and quickly pulled away, looking up at Cole from her position between her thighs. Waverly face was shiny and flushed as she leaned up and hesitantly asked, “Is that- do you not want me to?”

 

Cole tried to catch her breath for a moment, but quickly realized that wasn’t going to happen and panted out, “It- it just made me- made me feel str-strange. S-sorry…”

 

 

Waverly’s face was utterly understanding as she replied, “That’s alright, Cole. Don’t apologize, you have no reason to be sorry.”

 

Cole relaxed immediately, sighing as she felt Waverly’s hot breath against her with her words. Cole knew Waverly meant what she was saying, that it really was alright. She slid her hand down to cup the side of Waverly’s damp cheek, and tried to offer Waverly her most reassuring smile, but she was sure she looked more dopey and happy than confident and collected.

 

Waverly smiled slightly and nodded, before running the tip of her nose through Cole’s short hairs. The awkwardness from only a moment before was immediately replaced by the pulsing need Cole felt for Waverly’s mouth again. She drove her hand back into Waverly’s hair and with a gentle hand drew Waverly back down. Sweet, wet warmth enveloped her sex again and Cole melted against the heat. Waverly’s tongue began circling her clit even as her lips latched around it, sucking and flicking and licking, and it couldn’t have been another minute before Cole was riding the edge once again. The deep pressure inside her was pulsing to get out and when she felt one of Waverly’s fingers trail lightly up her side, she thought it might come bursting right out.

 

A moment later Waverly’s fingertips were tracing over her nipple as the tip of her tongue traced the same circles over her clit. Cole knew there was no turning back now. Her body simply reacted, she didn’t have much choice in the matter. Her hips rocked up, and held, Waverly sucking harder and harder as her sex began to pulse wildly against Waverly’s face. She cried out, “OOOHHH! YES!” as her fist jerked and twisted on Waverly’s hair, and the roughness only seemed to drive Waverly to suck even harder.

 

Cole quickly became completely overwhelmed, too many nerves firing at once, and she simply rode the waves of pleasure as they rolled over her body. She felt hot one second, cold the next; stiff one second, loose the next; hard one second, soft the next; all the sensations dazing her into a near trance.

 

Waverly eventually stopped, but Cole was almost too blissed out to notice. Her body shook and shivered for a long time, insides rolling and pulsing the whole time. She barely registered when Waverly’s mouth finally withdrew from her core, only truly noticing the change when the cooler air of the room rushed in between them. She whined at the loss but was immediately comforted by a weighted warmth settling over her body. She blinked her eyes open, vision fuzzy in the near darkness, but she could see enough to make out Waverly’s grinning face resting on her chest. Cole’s breath had almost returned to normal and she swallowed against the dryness in her throat before she tried to speak. Not much made it past her lips, as she mumbled, “Wa- wo- you- wa.”

 

Waverly’s giggling shook Cole’s whole body and she couldn’t help laughing a little too, though it came out as more of a dry wheeze. She was suddenly very thankful that there was no one else in the building at the moment, because Cole was sure they would have woken even the deepest sleeper in the last few minutes.

 

Waverly’s hand moved to caress her face, fingers gently drifting over her skin as she whispered, “You look so beautiful right now.”

 

Cole smiled as she pressed her face into Waverly’s touch. It still felt out of place to hear, but Cole found she liked it, liked that Waverly thought she was beautiful. Especially, because no one else had ever seen her this way, so Waverly had to be right; maybe, she did look beautiful. She managed to reply, “Thanks,” in a wheezy whisper, as Waverly continued to trace her fingers gently over her skin.

 

Waverly smiled and said, “You’re welcome, handsome,” as she moved her hand down to interlace her fingers with Cole’s. “So… you wanna sleep, or do you wanna, you know, go again?” Waverly asked, voice quiet and tentative.

 

Cole couldn’t deny that hope she heard in Waverly’s voice and quickly pushed herself up to press her lips to Waverly’s. “I already told you, baby, I’m sleeping in my saddle tomorrow,” Cole whispered against Waverly’s lips, as she rolled them, so Waverly was underneath her once again.

 

~~~

 

They did manage to get a little sleep, both pretty much passing out about an hour and a half before sunrise. Multiple, _multiple_ , orgasms tend to do that to a person. Cole woke slowly, sunlight beating in on her face. She shifted, and the light went away, and she quickly fell asleep again. A few minutes later, the light was back, so she shifted again, and this time she heard a soft grunt as her elbow made contact with soft, naked flesh.

 

Cole blinked her eyes open and found Waverly blinking right back at her, both of them trying to blink away the painful light. Cole grunted a little herself and brought her hands down to pull the bedding up over their faces. And there, in the softened light, shining bright even through the sheets, Cole smiled as Waverly’s eyes met her own. “Good morning, Waverly,” Cole whispered, voice still rough of exertion and so little sleep.

 

Waverly giggled a little gruffly and whispered, “Good morning, Cole.”

 

They laid there for a minute or two, neither one willing to break the tenuous silence that formed between them. The longer this moment went on, the longer they could both put off what was coming next. Cole was trying to psych herself up, trying to think about it as the next adventure, the next mission, instead of what the trip to Dodge had really turned out to be; the next life and death situation, the next duty, the next, and hopefully last, time she’d ever have to be separated from Waverly. She wanted to be selfish. She wanted to tell Doc that she’d just pay him for Jane and that be that, but there was that sense of duty, getting her in trouble. To Cole, probably the worst thing she could do, at least as far as her reputation was concerned, was go back on her word. Doc would probably understand, but that was just it. Doc would understand, but despite his own situation with Wynonna, he was still going to go back to Dodge, because he had promised Wyatt, his friend, that he would come back. Cole had promised to help Doc, and in turn Wyatt, and she couldn’t go back on that, no matter how much it hurt.

 

Waverly sighed and snuggled into Cole’s chest, and Cole just squeezed her tighter, relishing in the feeling of Waverly’s warm skin against her own. She knew they were going to have to get up soon because if they didn’t Doc or Wynonna or someone was sure to come banging on the door. Cole pulled back enough to press her lips to Waverly’s forehead and then whispered against her skin, “Let’s go have breakfast, huh?”

 

Waverly shook her head and pouted, whining, “But I don’t wanna get up, I just wanna stay here, with you.”

 

Cole sighed, squeezing Waverly again before she said, “I know, baby, me too, but… I need to eat before we head out. I need some coffee too. Gosh, I hope Doc got some sleep last night, ‘cause otherwise we’re gonna have to tie our horses together, so when we both fall asleep we’ll fall into each other instead of just falling off.”

 

Waverly made that husky little giggle sound again, but this time Cole couldn’t tell if she was on the verge of laughing or crying. Thankfully, it was the former, Waverly laughing and choking as she said, “I-I ca-can see i-it now...” Her voice trailed off as a fully bellied laugh took over and Cole let the mirth and joy in that sound wash over herself as well, joining Waverly in a fit of giggles.

 

Cole reveled in the feeling swirling inside her; joy and happiness and love, so much love. She couldn’t hold it in, still laughing and smiling as she blurted out, “I love you, Waverly Earp.”

 

Waverly’s laughter quietly slightly, but the glee she was feeling was written all over her face as she replied, “I love you, too, Cole Haught.”

 

A huge dimpled smile split Cole’s face as she said, “Good, now do me the honor of joining me for breakfast before I leave?”

 

Waverly nodded, only a little sullen as they separated to make themselves presentable.

 

~~~

 

Breakfast was heavenly. Gus was there when they got downstairs, and upon seeing them dipped into the kitchen. She came back out only a moment later, with two plates piled high with hotcakes covered in powdered sugar and a whole separate plate of bacon for them to share. Gus nodded at them, gesturing with her head, towards the two empty seats at the table where Doc and Wynonna were already waiting.

 

It was gruff greetings all around when they sat down, Waverly across from Wynonna, Cole across from Doc. It was obvious no one had gotten much sleep the night before. Except for maybe Gus, who slid the three plates down on the table before declaring, “I’ll be back with more, so don’t fight over it.”

 

Waverly and Wynonna took the first two plates, somewhat reluctantly, both Doc and Cole, pressing the plates in front of their counterparts before either one really had a chance to complain. Their momentary reluctance didn’t stop them from digging in though, when faced with a plate full of steaming sweetness.

 

Gus returned a minute or so later, hustling through the tables, arms loaded with plates again. Curtis was trailing behind her with a tray full of coffee mugs as well.

 

Cole started to get up when Gus approached, that is, until Gus fixed her with such a look, one that quite frankly said, ‘Sit your ass down.’ Cole was a little mollified, but when she retook her seat, Gus slid a plate down in front of her with a whispered, “Gotta stop being so formal, Cole. You are part of this family now, so just relax.”

 

Cole didn’t respond, not verbally anyway, simply ducking her head and smiling, utterly smitten with the idea of being taken in so easily into such an obviously tightly knit group. Staring down at her food, Cole realized all at once just how hungry she had become. The hotcakes looked delicious and the coffee smelled even better, and Cole quickly tucked in to eat with everyone else. There were few words exchanged as they ate, a bit of trepidation in the air for all of them, but soon enough the food was all gone and so was the coffee.

 

Doc was the first to rise, with a simple, “I’ll meet you at the stables in a few minutes, Cole.”

 

Cole kept her response just as simple, “Alright then, Doc. I’ll grab my stuff and meet you there.”

 

~~~

 

Waverly waited for Cole downstairs and Cole used the time alone to steel her nerve. She just had to keep thinking positively. ‘I’ll be back before I know it,’ she thought as she slung her saddlebags over one shoulder. ‘Waverly will be here, waiting, and I won’t let her down,’ she thought as she slung her rucksack and bedroll over the other shoulder. When she reached the door to leave, she looked back over the room, and she smiled. She knew it probably wouldn’t be the last rented saloon bedroom she would have to spend the night in, but she couldn’t help but daydream about maybe not needing to rent this room when she got back from Dodge; that maybe she’d be getting a place with Waverly instead.

 

When Cole got to the bottom of the stairs, she glanced around for Waverly, not spotting her until she looked past the windowed front wall and saw that long honey-brown hair drifting a little in the breeze. Cole wanted to make a beeline for the woman she loved, but just as she turned that way Gus stepped up in front of her. The grizzled older woman didn’t say anything, simply thrust a small package into Cole’s hand and stepped out of the way again. Cole called out to her, “Gus, what’s this?”

 

Gus glanced back over her already retreating shoulder and said, “Insurance.” She shot a pointed glance at the small parcel and continued, “Go on now. We’ll all be here when you get back.”

 

Cole was curious, but didn’t respond, simply pushed on through the front door of the saloon and out onto the porch with Waverly.

 

Waverly turned towards her the instant Cole stepped outside, a wide, but sad smile on her face. She glanced down at the package in Cole’s hand and asked, “What’s that?”

 

Cole just shrugged and said, “Don’t know. Gus just handed it to me and said it was insurance, whatever that means.”

 

Waverly’s head shook slightly as she made her way over to Cole and took the package from Cole’s mostly full hands. Cole watched as Waverly slipped the twine off and then the paper to reveal two small boxes inside. It was obvious what in the first one, bullets in two calibers; .22 and .41. The second box was slightly longer and a little flatter. When Waverly finally slipped the top off it, Cole was shocked to find a double shot pocket pistol inside. Cole chuckled, understanding now. “Insurance,” she mumbled as she pulled the pistol out of the box.

 

It was incredibly light, and Cole’s first thought was that she could probably hide that thing just about anywhere on her body. She checked to see if it was loaded first and finding it was, gently tested the action once, before she laid the pistol back down into the box. Waverly was looking up at her, a mix of dread and tenacity set across her features. Cole smiled as she tried to reassure Waverly, “I guess Gus just wants to make sure I’m never unarmed, though I wonder how she knew my ’77 was .41 caliber. They’re not as popular as the .38 ones.”

 

Waverly had the decency to look sheepish as she replied, “I may have done a little snooping for her. She asked if there was anything I thought you might need, but when I couldn’t come up with anything she said, ‘Well, can’t go wrong with bullets,’ and that was that.”

 

Cole shook her head. The bullets were one thing, but Cole knew that derringer pocket pistols weren’t cheap. It was too much, but when she started to turn back towards the saloon, Waverly stopped her, a hand on her arm as she said, “I think that p-pistol was Willa’s. If Gus gave it to you, that- that’s big.”

 

Cole shivered with that revelation. Even though she’d never met the oldest Earp sister, she knew Willa had meant the world to Gus and Curtis, and of course, to Wynonna and Waverly. Cole figured if Gus gave her that pistol, it meant more than just the possible protection it could offer. Gus was giving her something practical that would also remind her of what she had waiting for her back in Purgatory. Not just Waverly, but the whole family that came with her. Cole couldn’t trust her voice after that, simply picked the derringer back up and then tucked it down in one of her boots. It was such a heartfelt gift, Cole wanted to go back into the saloon and thank Gus properly, but Cole had a suspicion that Gus didn’t want a big deal made out of it and simply took Waverly’s arm in her own and moseyed towards the stables where she knew Doc and Wynonna would be waiting.

 

Cole and Waverly, both drug their feet, still trying to drag out the inevitable. Cole caught sight of Doc and Wynonna first, wrapped tightly around each other. She could swear she saw a tear roll down Wynonna’s cheek. When they got closer though, the moment Doc and Wynonna had been having seemed to fizzle out, Wynonna pushing away a few steps to lean up against the side of the hitch rail out front of the stable. Doc followed, like gravity was pulling them back together, and he too settled in lean against the post.

 

Waverly greeted them first, as Cole went inside to talk to Pete. He was there just inside the door, Jane already saddled up and ready to go. “Heya, Pete,” Cole greeted the man, as she approached Jane from the front, hand out to greet the horse as well.

 

Jane snuffled her palm and then huffed against it, almost like she was mad that Cole didn’t have a treat for her. Pete piped up, “Hey! Yeah, I may have spoiled her a little, but I set you up a little care package for her, so she won’t be mad for long.” He winked, handing Cole a little sack of carrots and a couple apples for the road.

 

“Thanks, Pete. We still on when I get back, for drinks?” Cole asked as she slid down Jane’s side to sling her saddle bags up over Jane’s rump.

 

Pete moved around Jane’s other side and began lacing the saddle bags into the saddle on his side as well. He responded softly, so as to not spook Jane, saying, “You got it, Cole. Just, uh, make sure you come back, alright? I mean, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, but the Earp’s have been through a lot, Waverly especially, and I- I’d hate to see any of them hurting again. They’re good people.”

 

Cole flinched a little, not wanting to think about the woman she loved in pain, and barely managed to respond with, “Yeah, well, hopefully, I’ll be back in less than a month.”

 

Pete nodded a little somberly as he finished tying in his side of the saddle bags. He was quiet for a moment before he said, “Well, you take care of Janey here, too. I expect to see her when you get back too.”

 

Cole chuckled a little and replied, “You got it, Pete. I’m sure we’ll both see you soon, and thanks, again.”

 

~~~

 

Cole lead Jane out the front of the stable, the horse whickering a little in the bright morning sunlight. Waverly turned toward them immediately, a sad sort of smile on her lips. The idea of leaving was tearing Cole apart and that smile was why. It was clear Waverly was trying to be brave, putting on a face, trying to hide how much this was hurting her. Cole almost wished she hadn’t stopped in Purgatory, just ridden on to La Junta or Rocky Ford before finding somewhere to rest up for a couple days, but what would her life be like now if she had? Truly, it was something Cole didn’t even want to imagine. Where would she be if she hadn’t stopped in Purgatory? Somewhere, sure, but also Nowhere. Who would she be if she hadn’t stayed in this town, with these people? Certainly not who she had become. It had only been a week, not even, but she felt changed, driven, like she had found her place, in life, in love and even though she was leaving, she knew she’d be back. She had a reason to come back and it was staring at her, with wide innocent eyes and that same sad smile.

 

Cole hustled over to Waverly, still standing by Wynonna and Doc at the hitching rail. She offered Waverly a tentative smile of her own as she wrapped Jane’s lead over the rail. “Hey,” she greeted softly, as she brought herself even with Waverly. Waverly nodded, but didn’t speak, head hanging down after the last little nod. Cole wound her arm in behind Waverly, resting her hand against the small of her back, trying to offer comfort, but not pressure Waverly into any contact she didn’t want. Cole could feel Waverly trembling against her hand and simply stepped closer, letting Waverly lean in to her chest when they got close enough. It relaxed Cole a little when Waverly slipped her arm up behind her and mirrored Cole’s grip on Cole’s own waist. It was an easy embrace, like they had been doing this for years and Cole had to admit, it felt good.

 

“Alright then, you ‘bout ready, Cole?” Doc asked, his moustache twitching up on one side because of his lopsided grin.

 

Waverly’s hand flexed against her waist and for just a second Cole wanted to say, ‘What if we just don’t go?’ Instead, she shook her head as she said, “Yeah, just, uh, just give us another minute.”

 

Cole gently lead Waverly around the end of the stable building, for just a little privacy, and that seemed like the best idea when, a moment later, Waverly pretty much pounced on her. Cole gasped as Waverly’s arms flew over her shoulders and when their lips crashed together, it was so hard Cole was sure she had bitten Waverly’s lip, and not in an amatory sort of way either. Waverly didn’t pull away though, just grunted against her mouth and tightened her hold around Cole’s neck.

 

Cole sank into it, willing her body to relax and take more of Waverly’s weight as she leaned in closer. Cole laughed against Waverly’s mouth when Waverly tried talking even though their lips were still pressed together. Cole pulled back, wanting to know what she had actually said and asked, “What, baby?” in the sweetest tone she could muster.

 

“I- I was saying that I want you to be safe, out there. And, I already told Doc if he comes back with-without y-” Waverly choked on the next word, but Cole got the gist.

 

“I’m coming back, Waverly. If I have to shoot every one of Lou’s goons and the man himself, I’m coming back,” Cole pleaded, hoping Waverly would understand just what that meant. She couldn’t not be sure though and quickly added, “I’ve never gone back anywhere, baby, but this time is different. I have a whole host of reasons to come back to Purgatory. There’s Wynonna and Gus and Curtis, they seem to like me pretty good. Oh, and I’ve got that date for drinks with Pete. I’m just making friends all around.” As she spoke she took on an almost joking tone, thinking that maybe if she could get Waverly to smile, truly smile, it might be enough to get herself through leaving.

 

Waverly took the bait too, pouting a little as she asked, “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

 

Cole chuckled at that and joked, “No, I haven’t forgotten about Nedley. I’m pretty sure he’ll hunt me down if I don’t make it back before too long.”

 

Waverly really pouted then, taking a step back as she slapped Cole’s arm and sternly said, “NO, I think you’re still forgetting someone.”

 

“Wave,” Cole said gently, overlapping Waverly’s little tantrum, catching Waverly’s hand as it landed on her arm. Waverly looked up, watery eyed and face strained, and Cole broke, completely incapable of continuing her teasing and said, “And most of all, I’m coming back to you, Waverly Earp. The woman who accepts me and supports me and loves me, the woman who changed me. And that’s the truth, baby, you have changed me. I used to think that something was wrong with me, that I was missing something important, but you showed me that, that I- that I could be loved. You showed me to was alright to just be me, no expectations, no hiding, no running, just me and that, that means everything to me.”

 

Cole knew half way through her little speech that she was going to cry, but she managed to get out every single word she felt like she needed to say before the first tear fell. Waverly was crying too, but she was smiling as well, so that was something at least. When Waverly pressed herself back into Cole, it was perfect, their bodies molding into each other as hands clutched and breathes aligned. Waverly’s wet face pushed up under Cole’s jaw and Cole rested her cheek on top Waverly’s head. “Hey, listen,” Cole whispered quietly, only continuing when Waverly nodded against her throat. “I won’t be completely out of touch. I can send you a telegram when we get there, and updates as things progress, alright? Even let you know when we’re on our way back, assum-” Waverly’s lips pressed to hers, stopping any other words from spilling out.

 

Waverly was kissing her, and the rest of the world seemed to fade away, that is until Cole felt something thump against the side of her jeans. She tried to ignore it, but then there was another thump and she finally had to pull away from Waverly, to see what the hell was going on.

 

Wynonna and Doc’s faces were perched one over the other, ducked around the corner of the stable. Wynonna’s hand came around and then a second later, a piece of gravel hit Cole’s leg.

 

Cole didn’t want to admit it, but it seemed it was time. She turned back to Waverly and finally, there was that genuine, sweet smile she’d been trying to coax out of Waverly. Cole returned it easily and simply sank back into kissing Waverly. Just a chaste smooch this time, but she tried to convey the realness of everything she had just said in that kiss. Waverly seemed to understand too, keeping the kiss innocent and soft, soaking in everything Cole was promising.

 

Another rock hit Cole’s shin, causing her to draw back abruptly and curse, “Shit. Wy, that one hurt.”

 

“Well, quit kissing my sister before I throw something bigger,” Wynonna explained, as she and Doc finally came fully out from around the corner.

 

Waverly piped up at that, pushing around Cole as she barked, “Wynonna! You will not.”

 

Cole was amazed when Wynonna physically recoiled from the fire in Waverly’s eyes as the younger Earp moved quickly in Wynonna’s direction. There was some mumbling and muttering as Waverly drug Wynonna back around to the front of the stable.

 

Doc shrugged, but then hiked his thumb over his shoulder and Cole nodded and followed, as he made to follow Waverly and Wynonna.

 

Doc moved immediately to his horse, but Cole wanted one more look into Waverly’s eyes before she mounted up. She didn’t have to wait long either, Wynonna noticing Cole waiting and quickly taking her sister by the shoulders and turning her. Waverly’s eyes lit up instantly, and she hustled over to Cole for one more kiss. Cole wasn’t going to let this one get away from them, pulling back after a moment to whisper, “I’ll be back, baby. Remember, I’d shoot anyone to come back to you.”

 

Waverly blushed even though she was grinning and all at once, Cole felt like it didn’t matter if Dodge was 200 miles away or 2,000 or 20,000, she’d get back to Waverly Earp, no matter what.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Live from ClexaCon it's Sunday Night!
> 
> Well... While the convention is nearly over, with only a couple of little events tomorrow, I must say I wouldn't trade being here for anything. I've met so many great people and learned a lot of new things. I got to have breakfast with Kat Barrell, which was a near life altering experience, and talk to a some of my favorite writers, who all told me the same thing; 'Keep Writing!' I have completely covered my FanFiction machine in stickers from my favorite FanArtists; my favorite being one that says, 'Boobs are better than dynamite!' I've gotten up early and I've partied late into the night. I've cried because I was so happy, and so moved, by things people said. I've grown in ways I never thought I would. I can't imagine not having been here. If you were here, you know what I mean. If you weren't, remember... there's always next year.
> 
> This chapter has my BrOTP, Cole and Doc, blazing trails and making jokes and even getting into a bar fight. There are some surprises, sure, and some things you probably saw coming, but I hope I managed to keep you on your toes for this one.
> 
> Happy Reading!

The first day of their travels was by far the worst. After they lost sight of Purgatory the reality of what they were doing really sank in for Cole. Not that it hadn’t been real when she watched the tears well up in Waverly’s eyes when she jockeyed Jane into position alongside Doc and his horse. Not that it hadn’t been real when she clicked Jane into moving when Doc did, glancing over her shoulder to look back at Waverly when they were only a few paces away and seeing those tears fall. Not that it wasn’t real when she glanced back again and again and again, until Purgatory was no more than a tiny dot on the horizon. But only after the sight of Purgatory was finally gone did Cole really understand that she’d left something back there, something precious. Something, that now that she was so far away from it she wasn’t sure how she was still breathing without it.

 

“Just try to relax, Cole. You need to breathe,” Doc’s gruff voice sounded, and from far too close.

 

A couple solid thumps followed, and Cole released a long, choked sigh, one she didn’t even realize she was holding in. She coughed and gagged for a minute, breath catching on the lump in her throat that she knew no amount of swallowing would dislodge. “S-sorry,” Cole managed eventually, ashamed that she couldn’t keep herself together.

 

“No reason to be sorry, son. I do know how you feel,” Doc said a little sadly, tone thick with emotion as well.

 

Cole glanced over at him and could see a tear streaming down his face. He snuffled and brushed it away with his sleeve, but Cole knew it had been there. Something was passing between them, an understanding maybe, that they were both in pain and it was alright to show it. Cole reached over and gripped his arm and said, “Thanks.” It didn’t seem like enough to explain how grateful she was that Doc was letting her see his pain too, but when Doc smiled softly, nodded and then looked off the other way, Cole didn’t push it. She released her grip on his arm and settled back into her saddle. It looked pretty flat out ahead of them, and trying to push past their emotional exchange Cole muttered, “Wanna take turns napping?”

 

Doc’s gaze flashed back over to her, a cheesy grin peeking out from behind his moustache. “Sounds good, son. Just don’t fall off your horse,” Doc said with a laugh. He waved at her causally as he added, “I’ll take the first watch, alright?”

 

Cole nodded her thanks and then settled deeper into her saddle. It wasn’t easy sleeping sitting up while moving, but she managed. She never really got fully asleep, not deep enough to dream anyway, but just resting her eyes was enough with how tired she was. Later, when Doc roused her for her turn on watch, she was sore, and her muscles were wrenched tight from trying to, both, relax while still holding her sort of upright. It was going to be a long day. It was going to be a long month.

 

~~~

 

The next few days were better than the first, but not by much. Cole was still sullen, from being away from Waverly, but conversations with Doc picked up here and there, so at least she wasn’t weary and lonely the whole time. She learned little things about Doc along the way, like that he had grown up around Valdosta, Georgia and still had a mother who still lived there. She learned he had had a busy dental practice in Atlanta at one point, that he had been a gambler and a bit of an outlaw after that, but then turned lawman when he met Wyatt.

 

Doc still gambled, which was how he and Cole found themselves, back to back, at two different tables in some saloon in Sherlock, Kansas, about a week into their ride to Dodge. From the sound of it Doc was winning, laughing and joking and talking behind her. Cole wasn’t doing half bad herself, up about ten dollars, when one of the men at Doc’s table started shouting.

 

“DIRTY CH-” was all Cole heard before there was a sharp choking sound. She whirled around to find Doc with his hand clutched around a man’s throat. She glanced back at her own table long enough to throw in her cards on the hand they were playing and scoop up her own money.

 

Doc had already managed to get control over himself, by the time Cole had turned back around, merely standing over the other man, fists clenched at his side. Cole just stood to the side and watched her friend’s back as he routed through the man’s jacket, pulling out no less than four different hidden cards from inside. “You call me a cheat?” Doc asked incredulously, anger rolling off him in waves. Cole stood with her hand on her pistol as Doc proceeded to throw the man out the front door. When he came back to the table, he actually seemed calm. He turned back to the men he had been playing with. They quickly decided to split the cheater’s winnings evenly between them and then call it a night.

 

That night they stayed in town, both wanting a locked door between them and possible retaliation. None came, but neither of them slept easy that night either way.

 

~~~

 

The next couple of nights they camped on the banks of the Arkansas again, partly wanting to save money, partly not wanting to get into anymore barfights. After dinner one evening, Cole started to get up from where they were shooting the shit around the fire and Doc immediately asked, “Where you think you’re going?”

 

Cole shook her head a little and replied sort of delicately, “Well, I was gonna go have a bath in the river.”

 

Doc pursed his lips and Cole could tell something was cooking in his brain. After only a minor hesitation Doc seemed to push through whatever gave him pause and casually replied, “You know that sounds like a good idea. You mind if I join you?”

 

Cole was shocked to say the least, instantly sputtering, “Wh-why I- What?”

 

Doc scoffed, laughing under his breath and barked out, “It’s not like I’m getting ideas, Cole. Just… I got dirt in uncomfortable places too, you know? Look, if you’d rather, I can wait for morning…”

 

Embarrassed, Cole hung her head. Of course, Doc wasn’t getting ideas. He was a friend, and also obviously deeply interested in Wynonna, or at least he had been when they were back in Purgatory. Of course, Doc just wanted to bathe too, and Cole blew it way out of proportion at the drop of a hat. It’s not like she had anything he hadn’t seen before, but in Cole’s mind there was a big difference between someone knowing about her and seeing for themselves. Over the last week though, Cole had come to trust Doc. He was probably the closest friend she had ever had. He seemed to understand her better than she understood herself sometimes. He was quiet when Cole just needed to think. He was talkative and open when Cole needed to not think about anything deeper than a funny story or a joke. He just seemed to just get her. He was like the brother Cole had never had.

 

Cole simply shook her head, scolding herself for jumping to conclusions about her friend and replied, “No, it’s alright, Doc.”

 

They shuffled off towards the water together, one going one way, the other the other, when they got to the water’s edge. It was awkward and a little strained, but when Doc called out, “Holler if you need any help,” voice filled with mirth and laughter, Cole couldn’t help but laugh right along with him.

 

~~~

 

Finally, eight days after leaving Purgatory, Dodge City finally popped up on the horizon. As it got bigger and bigger Cole’s trepidation accelerated, but as Doc casually rode right on into the center of town, Cole followed without comment. They pulled up to a stop in front of the Long Branch Saloon. Cole knew the place from the little time she had spent in Dodge. It was a rough and tumble place, but nowhere near as lawless as some of the other places in town. When they got inside the door, Cole realized why they had stopped there. Luke Short, the owner, was a known friend of Wyatt’s and if Wyatt was anywhere in town the folks at the Long Branch would probably know where to find him.

 

Doc exchanged pleasantries with a couple of the patrons on the way to the bar, Cole simply following behind, smiling and nodding at the people they passed. Cole didn’t recognize the man behind the bar readily, but figured out who he was when Doc called out, “Billy boy, how’ve ya been?”

 

The bartender could only be William Harris, the Long Branch’s other owner. Eventually, Doc gestured Cole over and introduced them, Cole shaking the man’s hand easily. She didn’t know William, but she heard enough about him and Luke both, to know they were not men to be crossed. Doc interrupted an almost awkward moment, where William was looking Cole over like he recognized her, snorting as he said, “Yeah, this is the kid that tried to rob us that night. The one that made off with my horse.”

 

Cole wanted to shrink away from the scalding look William shot her way, but she wasn’t going to back away from what she had done. That was why she was here, but before she could apologize or respond at all really, Doc continued, “He’s here to help us nail Lou and his goons, as payment for the horse. Kid still had her even, hitched up out front right now. Kind of a small world, right?”

 

William still seemed a little wary, but Cole looked him right in the eye and apologized, “I’ve made some mistakes, but I’m here to do what I can to make up for them.”

 

William’s eyes narrowed for a moment before he said, “Alright, kid, but you step even a toe outta line while you’re in town, and not even Doc’s sweet mouth’ll be able to save you.”

 

“Yes, sir,” Cole replied, nodding somberly. She expected she was going to be getting that speech at least once more before they were done in Dodge.

 

~~~

 

A couple hours later, after Cole got back from the telegraph office, from sending word to let Waverly and Wynonna know that she and Doc had made it to Dodge, they were settled in at a table in the Long Branch, waiting for Wyatt. Cole was a bit nervous. If she remembered right, Wyatt had an intimidating presence. She just hoped he wouldn’t turn it on her. Doc was there though, and he had even admitted they were friends, had said as much to William and then Luke and then to several others who had come and gone from their table in the last hour or so.

 

Finally, the man himself walked in, Wyatt Earp, followed shortly thereafter by two other deputies. Cole recognized them, Bat Masterson and Charlie Basset. Wyatt and his deputies greeted almost every person on their way over to Cole and Doc’s table. Cole couldn’t take her eyes off the man who would probably have something to say about her being back in town.

 

When Doc rose to greet Wyatt, so did Cole, wanting to feel like they might be on level ground with each other. Wyatt’s calculating eyes fixed on Cole eventually though. She stepped forward, hand out, and said, “Cole Haught, sir. I believe we’ve met before, though that’s been a long while since.”

 

He was obviously appraising her as he replied, “You used to run with Lou, right?” He glanced over to Doc, and then Doc glanced at Cole and she knew Doc wasn’t going to explain for her this time. She was going to have to admit what she had done herself.

 

“Yes, sir. I used to work for Lou Rand. He hired me and a friend to rob a stagecoach that just so happened to belong to Mister Masterson here,” Cole confessed, waiting for a reaction with baited breath.

 

It didn’t come though. Wyatt and Bat were both just watching her, obviously trying to figure out why she was there. Mustering some courage, she managed to explain somewhat, “I ran into Doc, in Purgatory. We agreed to a deal of sorts. I come back here and help you all take down Lou and his gang and Doc doesn’t have me strung up for being a horse thief.”

 

She knew it sounded pretty thin, just put out there like that, but Bat was first to nod, like that made all the sense in the world. Wyatt was a little slower to agree, but Doc piped up, stepping in between them as he said, “Your daughter happens to have fallen in love with Cole here, so you might wanna think before you say anything you might regret…”

 

Cole felt that like a slap in the face. It hadn’t even occurred to her that Wyatt was Waverly’s father. She knew they were related, but this changed things. In no way was Wyatt Earp going to approve of Cole courting Waverly, much less loving her and maybe marrying her. Wyatt fixed her with a glare, but directed his words at Doc, “Is that so?”

 

Cole couldn’t do anything but hold Wyatt eyes as she heard Doc laugh and say, “Yep, and I’m pretty sure Cole’s in love with your babygirl too, just so’s ya know.”

 

Cole wanted to shout at Doc just then, wanted to just ring his neck. He was forcing his way through this conversation, and it wasn’t even his place to be in it in the first place. She sucked in a breath to respond, somehow, someway, but before she could even get a word out, Wyatt asked quietly, almost menacingly, “Oh, and what makes you say Waverly is interested this boy?”

 

Doc’s mouth seemed to be just as quick as his hands, as he instantly replied, “Cause she sided with Cole over Wynonna… that tell you anything?”

 

There was silence all around them after that, the din of the fairly crowded bar drowned out by Cole’s pounding heartbeat. Wyatt looked pensive, like he was suddenly deep in thought. Doc glanced over his shoulder, all wide grin and sparkling eyes. Bat and Charlie were looking anywhere but at Cole, obviously a bit uncomfortable. Cole felt like she might pass out, when her eyes meet Wyatt’s again over Doc’s shoulder. Where there had been an edge of pure rage before, now there was amused curiosity, though. They stared at each other a moment more, before Doc stepped back from between them to reveal Wyatt’s hand outstretched towards Cole. “Well then, Cole, you must be someone special indeed then. Welcome,” fell from Wyatt’s mouth and it took Cole a minute to wrap her head around that.

 

Wyatt chuckled and jiggled his hand in front of her before Cole finally took it in a firm grip of her own. She laughed a little gruffy and replied, “That remains to be seen, sir, but thanks all the same.”

 

After a round of drinks, that Cole insisted on paying for, their conversation turned to the situation in Dodge. Charlie filled them in on Lou’s known associates in town, Cole putting her two cents on the ones she knew. Bat informed them that Lou hadn’t been seen in town in a few days, but that wasn’t really uncommon. Cole volunteered what she knew about places where they’d had hideouts last spring. Several of those, Wyatt and his men had already cleared out, but she did manage to give them a couple of places that they hadn’t looked already. Bat and Charlie agreed they’d take a posse out to those places to look for Lou tomorrow. Wyatt asked Doc and Cole to make their appearance in town as public as possible, told them to go out into town and shop and eat and spend money, and that the rumor mill would take care of the rest. 

 

~~~

 

After breakfast the next morning, Cole and Doc ambled around town. They stopped in at the City Drug store, and Zimmerman’s Emporium. They looked around Muller’s Dry Goods and Clothing. Cole actually bought that extra pair of jeans she needed, and a shirt she thought Waverly would like the color of. They walked by the City Clerk’s office and the Great Western Hotel and the Dodge Boarding House. Every place they went in, Cole looked for jewelry, for rings specifically, but she didn’t see anything that really caught her eye. She decided before she even started looking, that she wasn’t going to just settle for whatever she found, figuring that if she didn’t find what she was looking for in Dodge, she could always look in every town between Dodge and Purgatory on the way back. If she still didn’t find what she was looking for, then she’d figure it out. She’d find a way to make a ring herself if she couldn’t find a perfect one.

 

By midday, Cole and Doc were both grumbling under their breath about food, but Doc still wanted to find a barber who could give him a decent shave, one that wouldn’t mess up his carefully cultivated moustache. They hustled back over to the Long Branch, to grab a quick meal before heading back out to find George Deiter, the barber Luke suggested when Doc inquired as to who he used in town. Cole didn’t need a shave, obviously, but decided she could use a haircut and joined Doc when he went inside Deiter’s place of business.

 

A half hour later, Cole and Doc both felt refreshed. Deiter had done a satisfactory job on Doc’s face, which considering Doc’s penchant for his moustache, Cole figured ‘satisfactory’ was a pretty good compliment. Deiter had made quick work of the simple cut Cole had asked for as well. Cole had never been one to preen, and as soon as Deiter was done she’d slapped her Stetson back on her head and whipped out her money to pay the man. Deiter seemed to appreciate Cole’s no-nonsense way of things and with a nod and a smile Cole and Doc took their leave.

 

Back out on the street again, and with no real goal in mind, Cole and Doc wandered the streets some more. Eventually, they reached the eastern edge of town. Doc wanted to turn back towards town proper, but there were a few tented shops right on the outskirts of Dodge that immediately attracted Cole’s attention, namely the one advertising Handmade Navajo Jewelry. Doc got a bit of a nervous look when Cole suggested they go in and Cole could guess why. Doc wasn’t not ready to be thinking about a ring. She let him off the hook though, suggesting maybe they meet back at the water tower in an hour. Doc was beyond grateful, offering to buy drinks to celebrate Cole’s intentions with Waverly.

 

~~~

 

When Cole stepped inside the small tented shop, she was instantly drawn to one corner, where there was a large display of rings. There were rings of all shapes and sizes; ones with stones and ones without, rings big enough to fit the largest man and probably the smallest woman too. Cole was glad she had an hour before she had to meet Doc and dug in, going over the display with a fine-toothed comb. She had sort of compared her own fingers to Waverly’s before she left Purgatory, so she at least had some idea of what would fit, but the rings being all mixed together meant that Cole would have to go through and try each one to see if it even fit, before she could start to think about buying anything.

 

Several minutes passed, Cole looking for just the right ring, when she heard a shuffling behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and stifled a gasp, quickly recognizing the man who had just walked in. She carefully turned back to the ring display, trying desperately to act natural, to not draw attention to herself. At one point, Cole had been relieved to not see that face staring up at her from the floor of the Purgatory Sheriff’s office, but now that she laid eyes on Carl again, she knew they should have never let him go.

 

Cole didn’t turn her eyes away from the display in front of her, if anything, she ducked closer to it, trying to hide her face. She listened intently as Carl made his way to the Navajo woman behind the small sales counter. At first, all Cole could make out were angry whispers, but eventually Carl’s voice became raised and agitated, barking out, “I know what Lou said, but…” The volume level ducked again suddenly, like Carl had realized they weren’t alone. Cole simply reached out and slipped the next ring off the display, held it up and then put it back, rinse and repeat. She could feel eyes on her and didn’t dare think about looking over at Carl and the other woman. She did think about just leaving though, but she knew that the woman behind the counter knew Lou and that meant she might be able to get some information out of her, if Cole just waited for Carl to leave.

 

She never stopped listening, hoping for more tidbits of their conversation, but she continued to try on rings too, still trying to act natural. Another hushed few minutes passed, but then suddenly a hard shoulder bumped Cole’s, her hand sliding down to her pistol in a flash. Carl simply stumbled a step the other way and grumbled, “Watch where you’re going, foozler.” Cole clenched her jaw and turned back to the display with a growl. She heard him mutter something else as the tent flap rustled, but Cole’s heart was pounding too hard for her to make out the words.

 

Cole closed her eyes for a moment, slowly pulling her hand away from her pistol and forcing it to relax by her side. Thankfully, Carl was gone, but now she needed to concentrate on getting this woman behind the counter to talk to her. Another deep breath and Cole opened her eyes, and that’s when she spotted it, _the ring_. It was second from the bottom, fourth from the left, and hidden behind another ring, but there it was. It was made of light-colored metal, silver maybe, with a modest sized, naturally rich-blue stone set into the band. Cole snatched it up, slipping it over her pinky like she had so many others, but not like all the others, it fit just right, just a little room in between Cole’s skin and the band. Cole couldn’t stop the shit-eating grin that came over her face as she turned towards the counter to pay for her prize.

 

The Navajo woman smiled softly as she approached. Cole thought she looked nervous, and Cole figured that was reasonable. Carl may be dumb, but just because he’s stupid doesn’t mean he can’t be cruel. She sidled up to the counter and softly asked, “You alright, ma’am?”

 

The woman looked up and their eyes met for the first time. A flash of recognition crossed the woman’s face and Cole was pleased when she visibly relaxed. Cole quickly smiled again and earned a timid one in return. “Yes, thank you. Just…,” the woman returned haltingly, obviously struggling with her English, and finally resorting to shaking her hand in an over-under gesture.

 

“Anxious… nervous… unsure,” Cole guessed, finally getting a nod at ‘unsure.’ “What of?” Cole asked, hoping the woman understood her.

 

The woman obviously understood better than she could speak because she immediately pointed towards the door and said, “Carl.”

 

Cole nodded appreciatively, and asked, “What can you tell me about him?”

 

The woman’s eyes went wide at the question, before she began speaking rapidly in her native tongue. Cole couldn’t understand a word but kept smiling until the rant was over. She knew they would need more time than she had before meeting Doc to figure through what the woman had just said. Cole suggested softly, “Would you meet me later and tell me all that again? Only slower?”

 

The woman’s face crinkled a little like she was trying to understand, nodding as she went, until finally she replied, “Slow. Later… yes. Wh-where? Later?”

 

“Do you know The Long Branch?” Cole asked, quickly receiving a nod in response and adding, “Good. Come by tonight, then.” She couldn’t help but smile again at the woman’s eager nature. She reached over the counter, Waverly’s ring still clutched tightly in her hand. She offered it to the Navajo woman with one last question, “Alright, now… How much?”

 

The woman smiled and sweetly replied, “No, talk later, then decide.”

 

Cole wanted to refuse, almost insisted on paying, but then the woman took Cole’s fingers in her own and stared down at her hand. The woman muttered something, probably in her own tongue, and Cole felt suddenly warm and safe, like she had felt with Waverly cuddled to her chest. Cole wanted to pull away from the disassociated feelings, but the woman simply closed Cole’s fingers over the ring and said, “No money worth that.”

 

Cole could only nod, the words not making sense, but the intent seemed clear. This woman wanted Cole to have the ring, and probably wasn’t going to take no for an answer. All because she had felt something extraordinary as she had stared into Cole’s palm. Cole had never been one to believe in superstition or witchcraft, or religion in general, really, but some things were hard to argue with. And besides, what sense did it make to try to argue with someone that barely spoke her language, anyway; that would only lead to more confusion and agitation. “Alright then,” Cole finally responded, pulling her closed fist away before adding, “The Long Branch, later, tonight.”

 

The woman nodded her understanding and waved as Cole turned towards the exit.

 

~~~

 

Cole was right on time to meet up with Doc. He was causally leaned up against the ladder for the water tower, twirling a cigar in his fingers when Cole waltzed up grinning like she’d just won some prize. Doc grinned in return and called out, “I suppose you found what you were looking for?”

 

“That and then some,” Cole replied, looping an arm around Doc’s shoulder as she drew him close, so she could explain. They began to walk towards The Long Branch as Cole told Doc all about seeing Carl and the things she’d heard and her subsequent conversation with the Navajo woman. Cole regretted she hadn’t gotten the woman’s name, but there just hadn’t seemed like a good moment for Cole to introduce herself and promised herself she’d correct that mistake at her earliest opportunity. Cole digressed, “Anyway, do you know anyone in town who we could trust to translate for us? Or are we gonna have to do it long the way?”

 

Doc’s moustache twitched as he smirked, asking dryly, “The long way?”

 

Cole rolled her eyes, and explained, “You know, all hand gestures and guessing games.”

 

Doc chuckled, and Cole rolled her eyes again, realizing that Doc was just being facetious and knew what she meant. Before she could chastise him back, Doc shook his head and said, “We won’t have to worry about all that. I happen know someone who speaks Navajo pretty well for a white man.”

 

“Who?” Cole asked quickly, only to have Doc turn to her and reply, just as quick, “Why, Me, Deputy Haught, who else?”

 

~~~

 

As the afternoon progressed, Cole came to learn that Doc had spent a fair amount of time working, (read: gambling) in western Texas and even some further west from there. The natives there weren’t especially friendly, but Doc managed to ingratiate himself with one of their local leaders. He didn’t go into a lot of details as to how but said simply, “I stopped a man from kidnapping a native woman. I knew what he wanted her for and I just couldn’t let that happen.” Cole understood and was grateful when Doc moved on, telling Cole that it had been a while but that he thought they’d ‘muddle through just fine.’

 

Hours passed, and every time the door opened, Cole glanced over to see who was coming through it, and every time, her hope that the Navajo woman might actually show up, slipped a little. Wyatt and his deputies came in, at different points, Wyatt first and then Bat and Charlie a little later. They all chatted easily, Bat and Charlie reporting about the different locations they had searched that day. There wasn’t any good news though, Lou was still nowhere to be seen. Wyatt explained that he’d reached out to a few of his trader contacts to try and track Lou down that way, but to no avail. Cole had the best lead with the woman from the jewelry shop, but as time ticked by Cole couldn’t help worrying her little plan was going to fall apart.   

 

It was getting on, well after dark, by the time the Navajo woman did finally walk in. Cole spotted her immediately. Unfortunately, so did a couple of the other customers, and they didn’t seem to be as happy to see the woman. Cole crossed the room quickly, glaring at the few people who were staring, as she offered the woman her arm and escorted her back across the room to where Doc and Wyatt and his deputies were waiting for them. Cole caught the nervous look on the woman’s face when she recognized Wyatt, but to Cole at least, it looked like the woman was only surprised, not scared or worried. When they arrived at the table, Cole began introducing everyone, Doc standing and greeting the woman like they were already old friends. They muttered back and forth to each other for a moment or two, before Doc took the lead, introducing the rest of the group. Cole interjected just long enough to finally get the woman’s name, Tadewi.

 

Cole was partially relieved that Doc quickly appropriated the interview, asking questions and explaining answers. The other part of Cole really just wanted to talk to the woman alone. She was just curious enough about what had happened between them earlier to feel compelled to talk to Tadewi about it, but she and Doc and the others were deeply entrenched in the Lou discussion, and Cole knew better than to think about interrupting with personal questions.

 

Tadewi was a regular font of information when they got down to it. They learned that August Hamilton, one of Lou’s flunkies, had arrived almost two weeks ago with news that Bobo had finally killed all three Earp girls. Lou had some plan involving Wyatt and the girls, but Tadewi didn’t know many of the details there. Cole piped up then, asking Doc to ask Tadewi about what Carl had said earlier. They talked back and forth for a minute or two, Doc’s tone and demeanor becoming more and more agitated as they spoke.

 

Finally, Doc turned to Cole and said, “Carl got into town two days after August. He must have come straight from Purgatory to make that kind of time. Apparently, Lou and August and another of Lou’s associates, one ‘Two-faced’ Jack Burke, left the following day, heading for Purgatory. Cole, they know Wynonna and Waverly are still alive and have gone to, ah, correct that.” Doc’s eyes went wide as he finished, like those words were actually starting to sink in for him and what exactly that meant.

 

“They’ve got a week’s head-start, Doc. We have t… we have to go, now, tonight,” Cole blurted, heart pounding, thoughts swirling, fears creeping in, until she felt like she might come apart if she didn’t say something. “I was gonna…  We hav’to go…” Cole fumbled, barely able to catch her breath.

 

Doc was right there, panicking as well, but he was obvious better at wearing it, quickly gaining his feet and getting in front of Cole before he replied, “It won’t do any good to go now, not all half-cocked. You know that, Cole.” He gave her a strong shake and when their eyes locked, Cole could see her own fear reflected in Doc’s eyes and something about sharing the feeling lessened the panic rising in her chest.

 

Cole was almost coherent again by the time Wyatt reached her side. He immediately leaned in to whisper, “Don’t worry son, we’ll wire them tonight and we’ll leave on the train in the morning. Nobody goes after my girls.”

 

~~~

 

As the evening wore on, Wyatt left to go rouse the telegram operator, to send word ahead to Purgatory, with the promise that they’d all be on the train west the next day. Bat and Charlie went home around the same time, both to their wives and their kids, tasked with holding down the fort in Dodge while Wyatt would be away. Doc and Tadewi chatted for a while after they all left, but eventually Cole couldn’t sit there and listen to them speak in a language she didn’t understand anymore. She trudged up the stairs, fighting the panic building in her chest. The train would only take two days, but with an additional day on horseback from Robinson to Purgatory. Cole reckoned they’d probably still be too late. Lou and his cronies would still be at least a full day ahead of them, if not two, and that terrified her.

 

Cole laid in bed and tried to sleep, but it was useless. All she could think about was Waverly being in danger and not being able to do anything about it. She knew Waverly could fend for herself well enough, and she had Wynonna and Nedley and the rest of the folks in Purgatory, but that didn’t stop the feelings of guilt and regret from surfacing. What started out down in the saloon as a nagging, insistent sort of guilt grew into a ragging monster of regret by the time she had made it to her bed.

 

Just when Cole thought she might actually go insane, agonizing over the stewing, boiling feeling stuck in her gut, there was a knock on her door. Without a second’s thought, she rushed to it, slinging it open when she reached it. Tadewi was there, wide-eyed on the other side, hands trembling slightly around a mug full of some steaming liquid. Though surprised, Cole instantly took the hot cup and ushered Tadewi inside. Cole had already been sort of sensitive to Tadewi’s position amongst Lou’s gang, but earlier, when Tadewi had explained, through Doc, how she had come to be in Dodge, Cole had swelled with sympathy. Doc may have been there to save one woman from being taken from the tribe, but no one had rescued Tadewi when Lou abducted her, almost ten years earlier. Once Tadewi was settled in one of the rooms chairs, Cole made to offer the mug back to her only to have Tadewi shake her head and murmur, “No, for you, try.”

 

Cole took a sniff of the liquid. It smelled vaguely sweet and a little earthy, with a distinct hint of mint. There was a half a second where Cole thought maybe Tadewi might be trying to poison her, but nothing in the woman’s demeanor thus far had read as anything but genuine, so she took an experimental sip. The tea tasted very good, and the combination of the cool mint flavor and the heat of the drink was unexpectedly soothing against the soreness in her throat, an obvious side effect of fighting off a crying fit for the last few hours. She smiled at Tadewi after another sip and asked, “Navajo stress remedy?”

 

Tadewi looked puzzled, despite the fact she was smiling, and asked back, “Stress?” Cole nodded easily and motioned with her hand in an over-under gesture, similar to the one Tadewi had made when she was ‘unsure’ about Carl earlier. Tadewi’s eyes sparkled and her mouth popped open, replying easily, “Ah, yes, unsure, stress. Drink. Sleep.”

 

Cole scrunched her face up at the idea of sleeping anytime soon. How could she waste time sleeping when Waverly was in danger? She took another sip of the tea and sighed; the hot liquid would actually be very relaxing if she wasn’t so keyed up. She wasn’t sure when she’d begun pacing, glancing down at her feet before looking back to find Tadewi staring at her expectantly. Cole hung her head a little and made her way back across the room and slumped down on the bed, back pressed to the headboard, knees tucked up against her chest. She glanced up again and Tadewi was still staring at her, so she took another reluctant sip of the tea and slid down into the bed a little.

 

Cole’s mind drifted for a few more minutes, as she half laid in the bed, sipping at the tea almost absentmindedly, her thoughts too caught up in worrying over Waverly to realize she managed to finish the whole mug of tea. Her thoughts were getting slower and slower and that alarmed Cole a little, but she couldn’t concentrate on the feeling long enough to do anything about it.

 

The last thing she heard before her vision went dark was, “Sleep. You wake for train.”

 

~~~

 

Cole shot out of bed when she heard her name, eyes wide, searching for the source. The first thing she saw was Tadewi, still sitting in much the same position she had been in when Cole had passed out the night before. Cole shook her head a little, expecting to feel groggy or hungover, but was surprised when she felt neither of those things. She fixed Tadewi’s smirking face with a glare and said, “You drugged me?”

 

Tadewi shrugged like she didn’t understand, but Cole could tell the other woman was shaking with the effort not to laugh. It seemed that was a losing battle because a moment later Tadewi was laughing as Cole struggled to get herself out of the bed, legs twisted up in the sheets. The sound only compounded Cole’s irritation, but she knew she must look like a fool just then and made a concentrated effort to slow herself down. Taking a few breaths, Cole extracted herself and moved to the edge of the bed. She glared over at Tadewi and said, “How long before the train leaves?”

 

“Soon,” Tadewi replied matter-of-factly, as if she’d just given an answer instead of a guess.

 

Cole grunted, speeding up, shoving her feet into her boots and adjusting her clothes so that maybe it wouldn’t seem like she’d slept in them. She couldn’t really be bothered though, because just as she’d gotten herself in front of the washstand and mirror, there was a knock on the door. Doc’s voice calling out, “Train leaves in an hour, get’cher ass up!”

 

“I’ll be ready,” Cole called back, before glancing back at Tadewi. The woman was smirking at her again, and Cole huffed as she made her way over to gather her things together. She packed her saddle bags up and her rucksack, a bit more haphazardly than the last time she’d done so. A question nagged at the back of her mind the whole time. Finally, when she was done packing up, she turned to Tadewi and just asked it, “Why are you helping me?”

 

Tadewi gave Cole the same expression she did every time Cole asked her a question, brow furrowed, eyes scrunched, lips pursed. Cole couldn’t figure out if the look was one of confusion or contemplation, but eventually Tadewi shrugged and said, “Know good. You, good. Protect good.”

 

Cole didn’t really know what to say to that. She wasn’t sure what kind of answer she had expected but the way Tadewi’s eyes shone, sparkling in her sincerity; it hit Cole hard. This woman barely knew her, how could she know if Cole was a good person or not. Cole’s memory flashed back to the moment their skin touched the day before, the way Tadewi had murmured to herself, the way that warmth, that _Waverly_ feeling had come rushing over Cole like she was home in that moment. Cole understood. Tadewi had seen, or rather felt, something about her then that made Tadewi want to help, and Cole realized exactly what that ‘good’ was; Miss Waverly Earp. Now, if she only could just get back to Purgatory in time.

 

~~

 

Cole was sure they looked like quite the sight marching towards the train. Wyatt leading, ten-gallon hat perched on his head, barking orders from under his giant moustache at the porters to, “Get the Bags!” and “Secure our Horses!” Doc was directly behind him, hiding a grin and chuckle as he shuffled along, obviously trying to avoid Wyatt’s obviously aggravated state. Cole was next, apologizing quietly to the porters that Wyatt had shouted at, offering them each a few coins for their services. When reached the train proper, Cole made sure to turn back and offer Tadewi a hand up, helping the other woman onto the train.

 

Cole had been the least surprised when Doc announced that Tadewi wanted to go with them to Purgatory. It made instant sense to Cole. The woman had just betrayed the man who had abducted her and essentially held her hostage for years. It didn’t take a stretch of Cole’s imagination to figure out how that would end for Tadewi if somehow Lou were to make it back to Dodge. Tadewi was probably safer going with them to confront Lou than she would be alone with Carl in Dodge, anyway.

 

By the time the train began pulling away from the station, Cole and Wyatt and Doc and Tadewi were all settled into one of the train’s four-person capacity sleeper cabins, all four of them bone weary and rung out. It didn’t take long, the soft rocking of the train and the constant white-noise of the train rushing over the track lulling the group into sleep.

 

~~~

 

That night they made their way to the dining car for a meal together. It was a mostly somber sort of thing, until Doc finally broke the silence that had settled over them, saying, “Well, Cole, you ever gonna let me get a look at that ring you bought for Waverly?”

 

There was a startled rustling of flatware hitting plates, as Cole gasped. Before she could even think though, Wyatt blurted, “Doc, has anyone ever told you, you gotta big mouth?”

 

Doc chuckled lightheartedly, and replied, “Yes’sir. You do, all the time.”

 

Silence descended over them again for a few minutes, before Wyatt huffed and said, “Well, son, are you gonna show it to us or not?”

 

Startled, Cole sputtered, even as she was reaching into the top pocket of her shirt to pull out the ring. She looked at it for a minute, again reveling in how perfect it seemed for Waverly, before handing over to Doc first. She watched him as he inspected it, before murmuring something in Navajo to Tadewi and the woman smiled. Doc handed the ring over to Wyatt even as he directed his next words back to Cole, “Nice choice, Cole. It’s beautiful.”

 

Wyatt mulled over the ring, going so far as to bite down a little on the metal of the band. It was a sturdy thing and didn’t bend or mar against his bite. He was quiet for a long moment, simply staring down into the deep, blue gemstone, before he said, “I’m sure she’ll love it.” He started spinning the ring over and over in between his fingers as he continued, “You, uh, you just say the word and I’d be happy to make you two official, if that’s what you both want.”

 

“Sir, are you suggesting-” Cole began, shocked that Wyatt had accepted the idea of her marrying his youngest daughter so easily.

 

Wyatt cut her off though, saying, “Son, you seem like an honest sort, so I’ll be honest with you. There’s something special about you, I can tell and you’re obviously in love with my daughter, and if she’s in love with you too, then I don’t see any reason not to marry you two myself.” He paused, and Cole almost got a word in before he put his hand out to stop her, adding, “As a US Marshall, I have certain rights and privileges, and being able to marry folks is part of that.”

 

Cole could only nod, a little dumbstruck and a little excited, and as Wyatt’s words sunk in further and further, she realized she needed to be totally honest with Wyatt if this was going to work out. She glanced over at Doc and then Tadewi, the former knowing, the latter probably suspecting; there was no reason to hold back. She started softly, “Then in the interest of honesty, before I accept your blessing, as it were, I have an admission to make.” She took in a big deep breath and held it for a moment before she continued, “Cole Haught, it’s an assumed name. I, I was born Nicole Elizabeth Haught, only daughter of the late Nicholas Jakob Haught. When he died, I was… I was 19 and on my own, and I didn’t have a lot of options, so this is who I became. As time went on, I realized that this is who I was meant to be. It took me a long time to come to terms with what that meant; the lies I would have to tell and the people I would have to push away, the people who would push me away. But, Waverly, she, she didn’t push me away, and neither did Wynonna or Gus or Doc or Curtis or Nedley. They just accepted me. Hell, Waverly even loves me, for whatever reason, and- and that’s how I know that I’m just where I’m supposed to be.” By the time she was finished speaking her voice was barely above a whisper.

 

There was an odd sort of silence then, only broken by the rustling of fabric as Doc put his hand on Cole’s shoulder, squeezing lightly once before withdrawing. Cole glanced up around the table. Doc had a soft smile peeking out from under his moustache and Tadewi looked slightly confused, but quickly bent over to whisper something in Doc’s ear. When he nodded, Tadewi looked back at Cole with a huge grin on her face and Cole began to relax a little, but she still hadn’t looked at Wyatt yet.

 

When she finally did, his expression was absolutely not what she expected; a wide, knowing grin and sparkling eyes. Cole was so shocked she almost missed his next words, “You think I got this badge ‘cause of my good looks? Being observant is probably the most important quality in a good lawman. You’ll do well to remember that when you take over for Randy Nedley someday, Cole.”

 

Stuttering in a confusion and full of awe, all Cole could manage to say in return was, “T-thank you, sir. I-I-I will.”

 

~~~

 

Despite the relative joy of the first night, the next two days were agony. With no way of contacting Wynona and Waverly, beyond the warning that Wyatt had already sent ahead, Cole was a nervous wreck. Alternating between pacing down the corridors and trying to sleep because there was nothing else to do, had Cole in some sort of way. Lying awake in her bunk for hours on end, imagining and thinking, she grew more and more impatient as the hours moved on and when they finally reached Robinson, Colorado, Cole thought she might crack if anyone even thought about suggesting they stop in Robinson for the night. It was already well past noon, but Cole knew she wasn’t going to stop until either she or Jane well over from exhaustion.

 

And, that did finally happen, at about three in the morning. Jane was unruly from having been pinned up on the train and for the first few hours she was jumpy and huffing every time Cole made a course adjustment or offer instructions about which way they should be going. Eventually, Jane settled in to the ride though, and that was about the time that Cole’s eyes started to droop. She could see Doc watching her out of the corner of his eye and thankfully, he was there when she started to slide out of the saddle a few hundred feet later.

 

“We’ve gotta stop for a while, son. You need to sleep. We all need to be fresh when we get there,” Doc finally demanded, after the third time Cole nearly ended up on the ground.

 

Utterly exhausted, Cole couldn’t find it in herself to argue with that.

 

~~~

 

At first light, Cole was up. Tidying up her bit of their hastily thrown together camp as everyone else packed up as well. It would only be a few short hours before they would be riding into Purgatory, and Cole was part excited, but mostly just anxious and agitated.

 

It wasn’t until they were on the trail again that anyone even said anything to anyone else, but of course it was Doc who broke the silence, finally saying, “Y’all see that?”

 

Cole immediately began searching the horizon for whatever Doc was trying to point out. It was there, just the tiniest dot, a blip, against the lightening skyline. “What is it, Doc?” Wyatt asked before Cole could really process what she was seeing.

 

Realization broke quickly enough though, and Cole blurted the answer, “Three people on horseback.” She glanced over at Doc and could tell he was thinking the same thing. He leaned over to Tadewi and started muttering to her as Cole directed her next words directly to Wyatt, “You don’t think…?”

 

“Seems like too much of a coincidence to me, son. Let’s ride,” Wyatt said quickly. He grinned at Cole before pulling ahead, immediately shifting his horse into a higher gear.

 

Cole took off after him, Doc bringing up the rear only a few strides behind. It occurred to Cole that they were sort off riding blind into whatever, whoever, was out in front of them, but the idea that they might be able to stop Lou and his thugs before they even reached Purgatory kept Cole focused on simply reaching the strangers and then dealing with the consequences then.

 

They were gaining on the trio, the small blip on the horizon becoming more and more clear they closer became, but the terrain ahead was also becoming clearer. The ground was dry and cracked open all around them. Several hundred yards ahead the ground seemed to open up wider and wider until Cole realized it was a pass, maybe the remains of dried up river bed or a place where the earth had broken open from earthquake. Cole surveyed the area quickly and decided an earthquake was more likely; to the north the land made an almost-too-steep climb towards the sky, and to the south the land dropped off sharply as well.

 

Glancing back at the trio out in front of them, Cole quickly realized they wouldn’t reach the group before they made into the pass. The cramped conditions would slow the outlaws down, and generally, rationally, the shortest distance between two points was a straight line, but Cole thought going around might be just crazy enough to work. She urged Jane forward, catching up to Wyatt. When they were even alongside each other she shouted over the thundering roar of the horse’s galloping, “I’m gonna try to head them off! You two come up behind!”

 

Cole broke off to the north, which looked like the easier way around and compelled Jane to go faster and faster and faster, anything to get around the pass in time. Jane agreed easily enough and for a moment Cole thought she might just bounce right out of the saddle, quickly standing in the stirrups to brace herself against the extra force Jane was exerting.

 

They came up over the rise, and Cole immediately spotted Purgatory in the distance, but she couldn’t focus on it, couldn’t focus on getting there just yet. First, she needed to get to the mouth of that pass. She could see where it opened up and much to her dismay it was an almost sheer drop to get there. She quickly figured this was why the trio had taken the ambush risk of the pass, but Cole had made her choice and needed to make the best of it. Jane pulled up to a stop just before the drop and Cole knew she had no choice.

 

The rock face of the downgrade looked solid enough and the first drop seemed like the steepest, but then from there, if the ground held they could pick their way down fairly quickly. Cole urged Jane right up to the edge and looked over. There was a thin ledge only a few feet down, and then the wider one a little further down from that. Cole encouraged Jane to take the first steps over the edge and the soil did hold, at least for the first two steps and then all hell broke loose, along with the ground underneath them.

 

What had looked like stone along the cliff face seemed more like hardened sandstone and when the first crack formed, it splintered off in every direction under their combined weight. Just a few seconds later, the ground groaned and then they were sliding down the embankment at an alarming rate. Cole almost panicked, but then Jane settled her rump over her haunches and slid down that ridge like it wasn’t the first time she’d been asked to do something like this. Cole had just enough time to think to thank Doc again for essentially gifting her such an incredible animal., before they skidded to a stop just at the mouth of the pass. She was on the high ground, as the pass sloped up in her direction and she could see the trio of strangers, only a couple hundred feet away and Doc and Wyatt not far behind. The group in front was moving along at a pretty good clip, until they spotted Cole that is, instantly grinding to a halt. There was obviously some sort of discussion going on amongst the strangers, but when they broke apart, Cole knew things were about to get loud, and very possibly bloody.

 

Cole watched as they hastily dismounted their horses and took cover behind some scraggly looking trees and brush. She glanced up to where Doc and Wyatt were waiting, still on horseback, Doc’s gaze meeting her own across the span. He nodded and turned to Wyatt, and a moment later Wyatt hollered, “LOU RAND, you’re under arrest for corruption, sedition, and conspiracy! You can come with me now or die where you stand!”

 

A wild cackling rang out from behind the brush. Cole could see movement back in there, but definitely didn’t have any kind of shot at this distance. She glanced up at Doc and Wyatt again. This time they had dismounted as well and were creeping up on the brush pile on foot. Cole didn’t even have to think about it. She slid down out of her saddle. She did take just a moment to loop Jane’s lead over a branch of a shady tree, before picking her own way closer to their quarry.

 

As they all got closer, Cole heard Wyatt holler out again, “Come on out now. There’s no sense in getting killed today.”

 

A voice called out of the brush, “Can’t sell me the dog there, Wyatt. We both know you want this to end in bloodshed. I did try to have all three of your daughters killed, not just the one.”

 

Cole could clearly see the hatred and disgust on Wyatt’s face, and Doc’s wasn’t much better, but Cole mostly felt anger. This was the man who hired Bobo to go to Purgatory in the first place, to wipe out Wyatt’s entire line. He didn’t just want Wyatt dead, he wanted him to suffer first. He wanted to take away his family and then probably his friends before killing the man himself. Cole knew there was no way she was going to let any of that happen. She spotted a little outcropping of hard stone, a different color from the sandstone around it, and she knew immediately if she climbed up she’d have the perfect vantage point over Lou and his cronies. She glanced over at Doc one more time, tipped her hat in the direction of the ledge and when he nodded she started moving off that way.

 

Wyatt and Lou exchanged words for a minute or two more, Lou saying more and more inflammatory things each time he called back, starting in with Wynonna before moving on to Willa and then even to Waverly. Cole was biting on the inside of cheek by the end of their little exchange. She knew it was necessary, Wyatt was providing her with a cover of sorts, keeping Lou and his cohorts distracted while she got into position, but that didn’t mean hearing that _man_ say those things about Waverly made her feel any less angry.

 

Finally, laying on her belly, crawling on her elbows and tip-toes, she maneuvered herself out to the very edge of the largest of the stones in the outcropping. She could just see Doc over the edge and figured they must be close. She lay there for almost a minute before Wyatt appealed to Lou again, “Lou, just come out. You’ve got to know we have you surrounded by now.”

 

“That’s what he thinks,” came from just behind Cole, low and rough. “Don’t even think about it,” came, gruff and husky, again, when Cole’s trigger finger twitched against her trigger guard. “Drop it, and roll over, slowly,” came one more time, almost a growl this time.

 

Cole knew she didn’t have a choice really and pitched her pistol off to the side a little ways, and then moved to roll over, first to her hands and knees, intending to move over onto her backside. When her hand brushed the top of her boot though, she suddenly remembered Gus’ parting gift, the Dillinger .22 caliber pistol tucked into the top of the boot next to her ankle. She hesitated for just a second, and when Wyatt finally called out one last time, Cole dropped one shoulder to slip her hand into her boot, continuing the movement into a roll to the side. Coming around, she leveled that tiny little pistol, loaded for bear, at the man standing over her. She didn’t think, didn’t hesitate, as she pulled both triggers at once, unloading the pistol into his chest.

 

The image of his shocked face as the life drained out of his eyes will be something that will probably haunt Cole for the rest of her life. She could see why people called this man ‘Two-faced’ Jack, as half his face was riddled with burn scars, but Cole knew she didn’t have time to concentrate on that, at that moment. It seemed like her unexpected shots had taken Wyatt and Doc, and Lou and his remaining associate, all by surprise, but just as suddenly as the silence had fallen, the little valley underneath Cole’s ledge erupted in a hail of gunfire. She quickly scrambled to her discarded six-shooter and took to the edge of the outcropping again.

 

She could see Wyatt and Doc bobbing up from behind a couple of decent sized boulders maybe a hundred feet away. She knew they wouldn’t be able to be terribly accurate from that distance, so she decided to turn the tables. She got right up to the edge of that ledge and leaned over. There, crouched up against the side of the wall underneath her, were two men, reloading their pistols. She was only maybe fifteen feet up from them, and quickly thumbed the hammer back on her pistol and fired. She hadn’t been aiming at the men, but at the ground just off to their right. Both men’s eyes fixed in her direction. They both rose, quickly taking aim at her. Cole thumbed at the hammer again, but she barely managed to get it pulled all the way back before both men dropped back the ground, falling into blood-spattered heaps.

 

The silence that followed that was almost louder than the shooting had been, until Doc shouted, “Cole! You alright?”

 

Huffing out a weak laugh, Cole called back, “Yeah, I’m alright. Pretty sure this guy up here with me is dead though. Ya’ll alright?”

 

“Yep,” Wyatt hollered back, closer than before. Cole glanced over the ledge again and found him checking the bodies lying down below her.

 

She rolled over onto her back just in time to see the dead man at her feet rise back onto his own feet, towering over her again, pistol shaking in his hand. He started to chuckle and gloat but froze as he took in Cole’s shit eating grin. The hammer on her pistol was still pulled back from aiming down at Lou, which meant that when she pulled the trigger on her Colt ’77 ‘Thunderer,’ it literally thundered in her hand. The force of the bullet hitting his head this time blew her already weakened attacker right off his feet. She sat up, blood rushing in her ears, her own hand shaking like a leaf. She watched and waited until she heard his final breaths rasp to a stop before she dropped her pistol into her lap.

 

Doc was there a few seconds later, pulling her up off the ground and looking her over for injuries, but Cole couldn’t focus. One of her eyes felt full, which was weird because the other one felt fine. There was a warmth to that side of her face as well. She brought her hand to her cheek only to pull it back and realize it was covered in blood. Wyatt came into focus for just a moment, saying, “Looks like a bleeder… He need stitches, Doc?”

 

“Nah, I think he’ll be alright. It’s just a graze,” Doc replied as he put more pressure on Cole’s forehead.

 

Cole winced from the force, but somewhere in her still foggy brain, she knew it was essential to stop the bleeding. They sat like that for a minute or two, Cole eventually coming around enough to ask, “You think it’ll scar?”

 

Doc chuckled right in her face and replied, “Probably will, son, but I imagine Waverly won’t be put off by it, so don’t worry. Scars add character.”

 

Cole heard Wyatt laugh behind her as he added, “Well then Doc, you must be the biggest character this side of the Mississippi.” Doc laughed at that and so did she, but not without a little wince of pain, as she felt the skin of her forehead stretch open again.

 

Doc gave her a very concerned look as he asked, “You think you can ride?”

 

Cole took the rag that Doc had pressed to her forehead in her own hand and offered her other to Wyatt and said, “I don’t know. Help me up?”

 

Wyatt took her hand easily, moving his hand up her arm when she fumbled a little. She glanced down, taking in the blood covering her shirt sleeve. She couldn’t help but whine, “Damn it, this _was_ one of my new shirts.”

 

Wyatt and Doc exchanged a glance, before they both started laughing again. “Well, it’s good to have priorities, Cole,” Doc choked out between guffaws.

 

She fixed them both with a heated glare, that she was sure looked even more grisly with half her face still covered in drying blood. She smirked when their eyes went wide at her expression and used their momentary shock to steady herself a little bit. It was slow going back up to Jane and her pack, but after a few sips of water and a little rest Cole was feeling right as rain. She rinsed up her face as best she could and changed shirts, rolling the blood soaked one up so the stain was on the inside and stuffed it down in between her bed roll and her tarp on the back of her saddle.

 

Eventually, Cole moved back down into the pass to find Wyatt and Doc policing the bodies of Lou Rand, August Hamilton, and Jack Burke, draping them over the backs of their own horses for transport. Cole figured Lou and his thugs might be outlaws, but they deserved to be buried just like everyone else. By the time they were ready to point themselves towards Purgatory once again, Tadewi came riding up. Cole thought she looked almost pleased, and if Cole was being honest with herself, it was a perfectly natural reaction to the death of a someone who was really more devil than man. Hell, she felt relieved herself. Not only managing to stop Lou and August and Jack but doing so before they had even reached Purgatory had Cole mirroring Tadewi’s soft smile as they finally made their way out of the pass.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok! Here it finally is... Live from ClexaCon! It's Monday Night.
> 
> I must say I apologize for this being a little later than I intended, but to be honest I just went through this chapter one last time, just to be sure it was right before posting it.
> 
> Without further ado, here Chapter 5, all 20,000 words of it...

They didn’t even make it into town proper before Pete stepped out of the front door of the stable, eyeing them as they approached. Cole was leading on the way in, urging Jane to hustle the last few steps to Pete. When he grabbed a hold of Jane’s reigns, Cole slid out of the saddle, and quickly clasped Pete’s hand in her own. She opened her mouth to greet him only for him to interrupt her before she even got started. “Go. Be polite later. Waverly’s waiting,” he declared with a wink, before shooing Cole away towards Shorty’s Saloon.

 

Cole glanced over to Wyatt and Doc as they dismounted. When they looked up to meet her eyes they were both grinning at her. Wyatt simply tipped his hat as Doc said, “Go on, but if you see Wynonna send her my way, will ya?”

 

“Of course, Doc,” Cole replied, her own smile widening into a sheepish grin as she turned on her heel, moving quickly towards the saloon, and the woman she loved.

 

~~~

 

A speedy reunion wasn’t in the cards though, because as Cole crested the steps of the saloon, Randy Nedley was just making his way out. Despite herself and her mission, Cole was drawn in by his wide smile and bright eyes as he greeted her warmly, “Cole, good to see you’re still in mostly one piece, son.” Cole watched as his eyes trailed over the bandage wrapped across her forehead. He reached out to shake Cole’s hand and she took it gratefully, mostly just thankful to still be in one piece herself. Movement caught in the corner of her eye, but Nedley spoke up, seizing her attention, “So, what happened? Was it Lou and his ilk?”

 

Cole felt her stomach roll a little bit at the sensations that name brought up now; the smell of the gunpowder still in her clothes and hair, the blood still on her hands, both metaphorical and literal. She subconsciously glanced down at her hands and her stomach rolled again, causing Cole to grimace and sway under the weight of the things she had seen and done just hours before. Nedley must have noticed too, because when Cole looked back up to meet his eyes, where there had been something like excitement before, there was nothing but concern and worry. “Oh, I-I’m fine,” Cole blurted, before taking a deep breath so she could continue with the briefest of descriptions of what had happened in that pass. She didn’t give him every detail, like what it felt like to stare down the barrel of Jack’s gun with nothing but her will to live between them. She didn’t tell him what it felt like to watch the life drain out of his eyes as she desperately tried to remember how to breath. He didn’t need to know everything.

 

Nedley was gracious enough to listen all the way through until she had finished spinning the tale before saying, “Well, you- you look tired, you should take a couple day-”

 

“I don’t need a couple days, Sheriff. I’m ready and able to work,” Cole interjected, but Nedley was shaking his head before she even finished getting the words out.

 

“No, son. You’ve earned it. Look, take a couple days, get settled in somewhere in town. Live your life. The sheriff’s office’ll be there day after tomorrow or the next day, just the same as it is now, I promise.” He was quiet for a moment and his eyes bulged slightly as they flicked over her shoulder. He chuckled as he added, “And, besides, I think Waverly would kill me if I let you come to work tomorrow, especially if that look she’s giving me right now is any indication of her intentions towards me.”

 

Cole barely heard the last part of what he was saying, because when Cole realized Waverly was that close, probably right behind her, everything but getting to Waverly faded away. She spun in the direction of Nedley’s now amused gaze to find Waverly pouting up a storm. There was a challenge to it though, as if Waverly was saying, ‘Just you try and keep us apart. See what happens,’ with a single look. Cole’s feet were moving before she even had a chance to tell them where they were going, and she stumbled a little towards the door of the saloon, eyes fixed on Waverly through the window. All she could think about was wrapping her arms around Waverly’s petite frame and never letting go.

 

She managed to get through the door, but once inside it was like everything was happening in slow motion. Or, maybe it only felt that way because Cole’s heart was pounding so hard in her chest it made her ears ring. Each step felt heavy, but somehow light at the same time; like each step was significant, important. Something clicked in Cole just then, every step she took was significant, because each one was bringing her closer and closer to home.

 

All too fast and yet painfully slowly, she reached Waverly. Cole could feel her lips curving up, mirroring Waverly’s grin as she took Waverly’s hands in her own and said, “Hey, baby.”

 

Waverly’s smile never faltered as she replied, “Hey, baby? Is that all you have to say for yourself? A frantic telegram in the middle of the night three days ago and nothing since, and now you show up covered in… in bandages and is that- Is that blood? And all you can say is, ‘Hey, baby?’ Jeez, Cole, are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

 

Cole could tell Waverly wasn’t actually mad, her tone was far too playful, so she simply said, “Well, I am partial to dramatic entrances.”

 

Waverly slapped at her shoulder with a huff and sighed as she pulled herself into Cole’s arms. “I missed y-you,” Waverly whispered against Cole’s neck, breath catching at the last word.

 

Cole simply pulled Waverly closer and tucked her head down against the top of Waverly’s head, now firmly buried in the base of her neck. Cole did her best to shield Waverly from the rest of the room as hot tears streamed down Waverly’s face, the stream dripping down onto Cole’s skin before running down under her collar. She wasn’t about to have Waverly feeling anymore exposed than she already was; she just held the woman she loved, gently rocking her back and forth and whispering little reassurances, until the flow of tears finally ebbed.

 

When Waverly finally collected herself to looked up at Cole, Cole whispered, “I missed you too, beautiful, but don’t worry baby, I’m not going anywhere.” She paused for just a moment before she added, “And, I can prove it.” The smirk that crept up on Cole’s face was absolutely involuntary, but she couldn’t help it. Confused Waverly was just too adorable not to smile in response. The moment wasn’t right though, wasn’t perfect, so Cole concluded, “But, I’ll need a little time before I show you what I mean.”

 

Cole watched as confused Waverly quickly became suspicious Waverly and suddenly Cole couldn’t figure out which look she liked more; the innocent dopiness of Waverly’s confusion or the hungry, narrow-eyed gleam of her suspicion. Shaking loose those idle thoughts, idle because pretty much every expression Waverly made was adorable and internally debating which expression was best was a moot point, Cole was brought out of her thoughts by a hand brushing the bandage on her forehead. Waverly’s voice was rough and dry as she said, “Are you sure you’re alright?”

 

Cole smiled as she nuzzled her face into Waverly’s hand and replied, “I am now.”

 

~~~

 

Doc, Wyatt, Cole and Nedley took turns digging, Cole insisting on helping even though the headache she had developed was only getting worse as the day went on. She pushed through though, as they buried Lou and Jack and August, out next to Bobo, at the very back of Purgatory’s small cemetery. Waverly and Wynonna, and Gus and Curtis, and even Tadewi watched as the graves were filled in, one after the other, until all that was left were four little mounds of dirt in a row, with a simple wooden cross at the top of each one.

 

Cole thought the crosses were more than those men deserved, but when Nedley started to drive them into the ground, she had to fight her urge to recoil from the sharp clacking sound the shovel made against the first wooden frame. She hadn’t really wanted to be at the burial at all, hadn’t wanted the reminder of the wild look in Jack’s eyes as he bore down on her with a pistol in hand. She didn’t want to think about how close she had come to dying out there in that pass without ever having given Waverly the ring that was burning a hole in her pocket. The sensation was frustrating, because honestly, the absolute last thing she wanted to be thinking about while staring at those four mounds of dirt was her future with Waverly. But, morbidity aside, Cole realized life was too short to waste time and decided that she would make tonight perfect, even if it wasn’t, because she wanted to marry Waverly and when she saw things she wanted, she didn’t want to wait.

 

~~~

 

That night, Gus made another big family dinner, this time for an even bigger family. Cole and Waverly sat at one end of the three smaller, square tables that had been shoved together to make one big table. Wynonna and Doc were on one side and Gus and Curtis on the other. Tadewi was to Doc’s far side, with Wyatt at the head of the table, down at the opposite end from Cole. Nedley and Chrissy were there on the other side of Curtis and Gus, with Pete from the stables, added in between Chrissy and the end of the table by Wyatt. Pete had apparently liked Chrissy since they were kids and had only gained the courage to tell Chrissy about how he felt since meeting Cole. Cole was delighted by the development, excited for her new friend and his new-found courage, and the budding relationship that came from it.

 

The evening was still young, when Gus excused herself for a moment. Cole figured she was cooking up some surprise but when she came back with a round of the good whiskey for everyone, Cole couldn’t stop herself from smiling at the gesture. Wyatt stood up at the other end of the table grinning fiercely, as Gus passed the shots around. When everyone finally had a drink in their hand he said, “I’d like to propose a toast, to Cole Haught, who rode into Purgatory just looking for a place to rest and found a home instead.” Everyone drank to that, even Curtis, who didn’t usually drink, and while the group was distracted, Wyatt looked right at Cole and winked at her, before a taking a swig of his drink and sitting down again.

 

Instinct had Cole out of her seat before anyone could say anything else, but once she was standing she wasn’t sure what the hell she was going to say. She cleared her throat a little and looked over at Waverly and all of the sudden, it was like the words just fit together and flowed right out. “Waverly Earp, I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re gracious and beautiful. You’re smart and caring. Somehow, you’re accepting and challenging all at once and that’s something I absolutely love about you. Now that I’m thinking about it, there’s nothing I don’t love about you.” Cole fought with herself not to fidget as she spoke, tucking her hands into her pockets instead. The fingers on her right hand immediately closed around the ring, Waverly’s ring, and Cole knew it was now or never, that she’d never get another moment more perfect. She took a short step to the side and grinned down at Waverly as she pulled Waverly’s chair out from the table a little. Cole swooned at the look Waverly was giving her, all open and loving, and when that look made Cole feel weak in the knees, she went with it, taking a knee next to Waverly.

 

Waverly gasped when Cole’s knee touched the ground, obviously a little overwhelmed. Cole could see the questions swirling right behind Waverly’s eyes, like ‘Are you really doing this?’ but Cole only hesitated for a second before she pulled the ring from her pocket and offered to Waverly and said, “And that’s why I- I want you to marry me, because when I see you I know I’m home.”

 

Cole stared into Waverly’s eyes as the reply came, not a half second later. “Yes, yes, Hell! Yes!”

 

When the ring was finally firmly in place on Waverly’s finger, a perfect fit if Cole had ever seen one, Waverly was out of her seat like a shot, stumbling forward when her foot caught the leg of the chair, and ended up landing in a heap on top of Cole. Before Cole knew it though, Waverly was kissing her. Kissing her like they’d never get another one, or maybe it was as if this kiss would never end, that even long, long after they separated from it, some piece of Waverly would still be touching Cole and vice versa.

 

Throats were cleared and cleared again, but only when Cole heard footsteps coming around the other end of the table did she pull back the slightest bit. Waverly released her lips as well, just as Wyatt came to their end of the table. Cole looked up at him as he raised his whiskey glass into the air again and said, “To the Happy Couple!”

 

Cole was sure they all cheered and drank and toasted, but Waverly’s lips were back on hers again, and again, the rest of the world just sort of drifted away. Waverly was the one to pull back this time, grinning brightly, still half lying on top of Cole from where she’d fallen. Cole looked up into those shining eyes and joyous grin and said, “See, I told I’m not going anywhere and that I could prove it.”

 

Waverly’s lips pursed in a mischievous sort of way as she replied, “I don’t know if I believe you. What if I said I need more convincing?”

 

Cole’s eyes glinted as she quickly replied, “Well, I’m ready to spend the rest of my life convincing you, if that sounds alright?”

 

“I quite like the sound of that, actually,” Waverly whispered, as she closed the distance between their lips once again.

 

~~~

 

Cole noticed how Waverly clung to her after that, like maybe she was worried, as if Waverly thought she might just disappear into thin air, but Cole had meant what she said. Being with Waverly felt like being home, and Gus and Curtis and Wynonna and everyone else in town just re-enforced that feeling every time she turned around. Cole wasn’t going to give that up very easily, or ever, if she had her way about it.

 

Eventually, the food was all eaten, including the Dutch Apple pies Gus had made for dessert. The conversations started to ebb here and there too; first, when Gus and Curtis excused themselves, heading towards their bed, and then again when Nedley and Chrissy and Pete took their leaves as well. Soon, it was just Wynonna and Doc, and Cole and Waverly, and Wyatt and Tadewi. Tadewi was the first to yawn and when it spread to the rest of the group, they all had a good chuckle about it. Gus had offered Tadewi, and Wyatt both, rooms upstairs earlier on in the evening and not too long after that first yawn, they both headed off to bed, leaving just the two couples still in the bar-room.

 

Cole had watched as Wynonna and Doc had drifted closer and closer as their little group had gotten smaller and smaller, until finally when Wyatt was out of sight, Wynonna slid right out of her own chair and into Doc’s lap. Cole couldn’t help but share in Doc’s smirk, happy for her friend’s happiness. That thought only lasted a moment though before Cole got a little distracted.

 

Waverly’s fingers brushed through the short hairs on the back of Cole’s neck for just a second before she was sliding herself into Cole’s lap as well. Waverly at least had the decency to sit in Cole’s lap sidesaddle, instead straddling her like Wynonna was Doc. It wasn’t that they had to worry about impropriety or some social construct like that. It just seemed too intimate to be doing in public, especially with Waverly, in front of her sister. Cole didn’t begrudge Doc and Wynonna though, because deep down she knew that their being anything more than friends had been a long time coming. Waverly squirmed in her lap, and despite herself, Cole leaned in and pressed a few almost chaste kisses to Waverly’s lips, smiling into each one. When they broke apart, Waverly’s eyes were shining down at Cole as she said, “Why don’t I take you home, huh?”

 

Cole nodded, sort of dumbly, a little dazed by the question; their current position notwithstanding. The hope and trepidation she could hear battling for dominance in Waverly’s voice was enough to make her wonder what had Waverly so nervous about going ‘home’ together. She tipped Waverly’s face up to her own and whispered, “You’re nervous? What’s wrong?”

 

Waverly smiled sheepishly at her and replied, “OH, nothing’s wrong. It’s just, I hope- I hope you like it, is all. I-”

 

“I’ll like anywhere you are, ok? You’re home, Waverly. Where you go, I go,” Cole interrupted, trying her best to alleviate Waverly’s anxiety.

 

It seemed to work too, because a moment later, Waverly sank into her again, both arms wrapped around Cole’s neck. Lips pressed against lips again, before Waverly whispered, “Let’s go home then. I- I need you.”

 

Cole was sure her cheeks turned a bright, shiny, sort of red as Waverly slipped off of her lap. It was funny how those three words could leave her wanting so much, so much that she almost got lost in her imagination about it, that is, until she heard Wynonna bark out, “Let’s go, Cole, chop-chop.”

 

Cole grunted as she got to her feet, finally feeling the day she’d had, but she pushed past the soreness, not wanting it to ruin the rest of their night. She stretched and groaned, but eventually followed the rest out the front door of the saloon. Waverly stopped to lock up and Cole stopped with her, wrapping her arms around Waverly from behind when she realized how much colder it had gotten after the sun had down.

 

Doc and Wynonna came around the corner after a minute, both perched on the bench seat of a small wagon. Wynonna thumbed over her shoulder and smirked as she said, “You lovebirds can ride in the back.”

 

Waverly groaned, but started dragging Cole towards the back of the wagon anyway and Cole didn’t understand why Waverly was grumbling until they got moving. The suspension on the old wagon was beyond worn out and even before they got out of town, Cole was pretty sure she’d have bumps and bruises from the rough ride. Thankfully though, it was only about ten minutes or so, before they were pulling up in front of a few darkened buildings.

 

Cole could make out the main house and a small barn, and what was probably a shed set back a ways from the house. Wynonna and Doc were two-stepping their way towards the main house before Cole and Waverly even managed to clamber out of the wagon. Wynonna called over her shoulder as they reached the door, “See ya’ll in the morning!”

 

Cole was sort of confused when Waverly started hauling her off towards the back of the house, but Cole didn’t fight it, simply fell into step with Waverly a step or two later. The closer they got to the ‘shed’ the more detail Cole could make out in the waning moonlight. It looked new, or at least newer than the main house did. Despite the aged color of the siding, the little building looked homey and inviting. Cole drew up to a stop far enough away from the building to take it all in a glance. It was a simple cabin, two windows in front and a roughly hewn door. Two posts held up a bit of roof over the steps up to the door. There was no chimney, not a brick and mortar one anyway, only a small blackened pipe sticking out one end of the roof. Cole thought it looked like it had two rooms, or maybe three, depending on how deep it went.

 

Waverly had kept moving when Cole stopped and when she reached the door and turned back to Cole with her hand outstretched towards her, Cole hurried along to catch up. Waverly smiled at Cole as Cole took her hand. Cole felt her heart swell as Waverly said, “Welcome home, love.”

 

Cole was a little overwhelmed as they stepped inside. Waverly immediately started moving about, lighting a few lamps as she went. As the light swelled with each lit lamp, Cole took in more and more of the interior. Simple furnishings made up the small den/dining room, a bench seat with some mix-matched cushions along one wall and a small table and chairs on the other side of the room. The main fixture though, was the black, cast iron wood stove in the middle of the room. The place didn’t look especially lived in, too new to have that home feeling, but the space had definite potential, potential to be ‘home.’ A little taken aback by the surge of emotions that thought brought out, Cole found her voice weak and soft when she asked, “Did- did you do all this?”

 

Waverly shrugged a little and quietly replied, “I had help. Wynonna and Gus and Curtis, and Nedley and Pete. Hell, half the town has been out here in the last two weeks, just helping out.”

 

Cole, a little past dumbfounded, had only enough sense to say, “Waverly, this is-” before she realized she had no way to describe what this meant to her; all the effort, not just from Waverly, but Waverly’s family and the townspeople too. Cole found herself overcome with emotion, totally speechless.

 

“Home,” Waverly finished for her when Cole’s words failed her. Waverly moved quickly then, pressing herself into Cole’s body.

 

Instinct took over for Cole, her body wrapping itself protectively around Waverly as her emotions swelled again. She didn’t even realize she was crying until a tear dripped off of her chin and onto Waverly’s shoulder where it was pressed tightly to her chest. Waverly sniffled a little too, and for a few minutes they just stood there and cried together.

 

Finally, Waverly nudged her nose in under Cole’s tucked chin, placing kisses along her way up to Cole’s lips. “This is our home, Cole. I did this for us. I mean, it wasn’t even hard either. Curtis had lumber leftover from when they added their place onto the back of Shorty’s and when I asked him if I could have it, he said yes. And, then I mentioned it to Pete, just in passing, you know, and well, he showed up the next day with his brother, Kyle. The next day Nedley and Gray were with them. It all just sorta fell into place after that,” Waverly explained quietly, in that sort of nervous rambling way that Cole couldn’t help but find adorable. Cole felt herself grinning like a fool when Waverly moved away and stopped in front of the woodstove, to look back at her.

 

Cole shook her head, realizing in that moment that she could’ve looked for a hundred years and never found a woman as good as Waverly Earp. She quickly crossed the room and brought Waverly back into her arms, moving in immediately to capture Waverly’s lips with her own.

 

Waverly groaned into the kiss, mumbling “Fire, then fire, baby,” against Cole’s lips.

 

Cole chuckled at that, nodding even as she moved to get some firewood from the stack out on the porch to feed the fire once Waverly got it started.

 

They worked as a team to get the fire roaring in the stove and after only a few minutes the cozy little home was warming up. They stood there for a minute or two longer, before Waverly turned to Cole and extended her hand for Cole to take it. Cole went along gladly into the next room.

 

Once her eyes adjusted a little to the lower light of the bedroom, Cole found a large, natural wood bed frame standing in the center of the room. Cole thought the mattress was probably stuffed with straw, or maybe feathers, because it looked a bit lumpy, but she didn’t care. It looked like a safe enough haven to her, covered in with two thick quilts with another blanket draped over the end. She thought it looked like a perfect place to cocoon, a place they could fall into together and forget about the rest of the world, and honestly in that moment, Cole couldn’t think of anything she wanted more.

 

She took the lead then, drawing Waverly towards the bed as she pulled Waverly into her arms; Cole’s hands finding Waverly’s hips with an almost practiced ease, and Waverly’s hands burrowing easily into the hair at the base of Cole’s neck at the same time. Both pulling in now, their lips crashed together, hot and wet, almost desperate. Obviously, two weeks had been two weeks too long.

 

Waverly grunted against her lips, tugging lightly on Cole’s hair as she did. Cole could take a hint and pulled back, eyes popping open, immediately searching for Waverly’s. Cole smiled at the rough, needy quality of Waverly’s voice as she whispered, “Undress me? Please?”

 

Nothing could stop Cole from fulfilling that request; not mouthy sisters, or rough and tumble outlaws, not her own nerves, or her tired body. Nothing was going to stop Cole from spending the rest of the night showing Waverly just how much Cole needed her and loved her. She slid her hands up Waverly’s sides when their lips brushed again, whispering, “Of course, baby,” as they went. She guided her fingers over the fabric of Waverly’s bodice, slowly moving her hands around Waverly’s back, searching for the ties to remove it. Carefully slipping loose the knot, Cole traced her fingers gently over the laces, tucking under each one and pulling it out, deliberately slowly, because this time Cole knew there was no time limit, no dawn parting to dread, no obligations to fulfill, no distractions. Cole simply wanted to revel in every touch, every sound, every single intimate moment.

 

When the bodice finally came loose and started to slide over Waverly’s sides, Waverly huffed a little sigh of relief and Cole immediately called her out, laughing as she lilted, “Someone’s impatient?”

 

Waverly whined, fists clenching in Cole’s hair as she huskily replied, “Hell, yes, I’m impatient. I- I missed you.”

 

“Don’t worry baby, we’ve got all night,” Cole whispered, pecking Waverly’s lips again, before smirking and cheerfully adding, “In fact, as the future Missus Haught, we’ve got tomorrow night and every night for rest of our lives when you get right down to it.”  There was an instant tensing under her fingers and Cole quickly regretted her words. She had meant it lightly, like it was still a distant airy thing, but as she took in the furrowed line between Waverly’s eyebrows, she started back pedaling, “I- I mean, you know- you don’t have to- with my name- I-”

 

Waverly’s shaking head had Cole stopping short, just as Waverly’s finger pressed against her lips, gently demanding silence. “Cole, it’s ok. You kinda surprised me, but I-  I sorta love the way that sounds… Missus Waverly Haught… Missus Waverly Earp Haught… Mister and Missus Cole Haught… It’s-” Waverly said, voice trailing off as if she couldn’t think of a way to describe it.

 

Cole waited to see if Waverly was going to continue, and even though she didn’t, Cole knew what she was trying to say. There was something about them together that couldn’t be described, not in words anyway. “Yeah, it is,” Cole whispered reverently, against Waverly’s finger, still pressed to her lips. The muscles in Waverly’s finger twitched and Cole couldn’t resist, instantly transforming the moment by slipping her tongue out of her mouth to flick over the pad of Waverly’s finger. She wrapped her tongue around the digit for a moment before pulling it into to her mouth to lightly suck on it. She watched as Waverly’s eyes rolled back into her head at the sensation. A needy moan fell from Waverly’s slightly parted lips when Cole swirled her tongue around that finger before releasing it with a slow, wet pop.

 

It seemed like the ‘pop’ snapped something inside Waverly, because in a blur, Waverly crowded into Cole’s space, pulling and tugging at her clothes, until Cole was standing there in nothing but her chest binding and long shorts; though her jeans were still bunched around the tops of her boots. Waverly barely slowed down to remove her underthings, Cole’s chest binding quickly slipping loose before being carelessly tossed aside. In a flash, Waverly dropped roughly onto her knees, hands shaking and scrambling to remove the shorts, jeans and boots. Cole gasped, her eyes catching Waverly’s. The way Waverly was looking up at her was downright lewd, all rosy cheeks and blown pupils and wicked grin. Cole clumsily stepped out of the heap of her clothes, eyes never leaving Waverly’s.

 

Somewhere in all the pulling and tugging on her own clothes, Cole had managed to slip one sleeve of Waverly’s chemise off her shoulder. Cole watched then as the other side slid gracefully off Waverly’s other shoulder and disappeared down her body as Waverly rose from her knees. Cole barely had time to gasp again before Waverly was pulling down on the back of her neck, while also pushing all the way up on her toes, forcing their lips together again.

 

Cole could feel every inch where their skin touched, _every_ inch. Part confused and maybe a little shocked, Cole quickly brought her hands up to Waverly’s hips and when she didn’t find fabric there, she mumbled haltingly against Waverly’s lips. “Wa- whe’re your -ickers?”

 

Waverly giggled, and pulled back a little before replying, albeit a little shyly, “I- I didn’t- I, mean, I’m not wearing any… ‘cause I thought, well you know… ‘cause I thought you might like it.”

 

Cole nearly choked on her own tongue, mouth suddenly as dry as a tumbleweed in the desert. Just knowing that Waverly had been thinking about this moment since she had gotten dressed that morning was quite the ego boost. Cole smirked as she joked, “Well, somebody is impatient, isn’t she?” Waverly scoffed and frowned, bracing her hands against Cole’s chest, just above her breasts, feigning at pushing away. Cole merely leaned in to where her lips were just brushing Waverly’s ear to whisper, “I don’t just like it, Wave, I. love. it. I- I love knowing that you’ve been thinking about this all day.” Waverly’s hands stopped pressing against her chest as she spoke, and Cole swept her hands up Waverly’s back to settle at the back of Waverly’s neck. She scrunched her hands in Waverly’s hair as she continued, “So, tell me? What do you have planned for tonight, huh? I know that big, beautiful brain of yours has been working overtime all day.” They were so close Cole could barely make out the hot blush on Waverly’s cheeks, but she knew it was there. She peppered kisses along Waverly’s jaw until their lips were so close, mere centimeters apart. Waverly panted into her mouth when Cole opened it again to ask, “Tell me what you want, baby?”

 

Waverly’s hands slipped down between them, and Cole shuddered as Waverly’s fingertips traced over her breasts before sliding around under her arms to clutch at her back. Cole marveled at how tight Waverly’s grip was, as she burrowed her face into the side of Cole’s neck to murmur her reply, “I want you to make me forget the last two weeks. Make me forget about worrying about you every minute while you were gone. Make me, God, make me forget my own name.”

 

A sharp shudder rippled through Cole’s body as Waverly’s hot breath brought those words to her ears. Cole quickly spun them towards the bed, coming apart only when they reached it. Cole gently pressed Waverly, back down, onto the bed. She straightened up for a moment, pulling back to admire the tableaux before her; Waverly spread and wanting, writhing and a little desperate for her touch. Cole smiled softly when Waverly whined quietly and squirmed a little against the mattress under her gaze. (Somewhere in the back of Cole’s mind, she thought, ‘No rustling, must be a down mattress.’)

 

Prowling up onto the bed, urging Waverly to scooch up as she advanced, Cole quickly settled between Waverly’s thighs, her weight braced on one arm and her knees, as the fingers of her free hand began trailing over Waverly’s skin. First, up her arm and over her shoulder, then up her neck and down her jaw, backtracking to trace over her ear and up into her hair. Waverly squirmed and whimpered at the light touches but groaned when Cole’s fingernails scratched lightly at her scalp.

 

Waverly’s eyes slipped closed as Cole moved in for another kiss and Cole let her own slip closed as well. Cole slowly lowered herself down onto her elbow as they kissed, urging her hand in under Waverly’s shoulder blade. Once they were finally flush against one another, Cole felt Waverly sigh into the contact, welcoming her weight. Cole felt Waverly’s hands grip onto her body, one on her back mirroring the position of her own hand on Waverly’s shoulder. The other grabbed onto the wrist of her free hand and clutched it tightly in her fist. Waverly began tugging at that hand, down, down, down, until she was forcing Cole’s hand in between them.

 

Cole chuckled against Waverly’s lips again, gaining her a huffed whine in response. Cole shushed her gently, even as she rolled her body against Waverly’s beneath her; both groaning when Waverly’s slick heat brushed against Cole’s lower belly. Cole couldn’t help but groan as Waverly’s back arched a little, hips juddering up and down, immediately searching for more. Air rushed into the space created between them, and Cole was grateful for the opening to slide her hand further down between them, until finally her fingers brushed past short damp curls and into the flooded warmth beyond.

 

The first brush over Waverly’s clit drew a gasp; the first circle around her entrance drew a whine; the first dip inside drew a groan. Each sweet sound was followed by a shudder or a twitch or an arch; every inch of Waverly’s body searching for more; more contact, more friction, just more, and Cole was happy to oblige. She was riding the crest almost as high as Waverly when she finally sank two of her fingers deep into Waverly, the digits sliding in with almost no effort at all. She choked a little at the way Waverly’s walls immediately clamped down, only to start fluttering against her fingers a second later. She brought her lips to Waverly’s parted, panting ones, and huffed into her open mouth, “S-so warm, Wave, God, Sooo-” Unable to continue, Cole simply covered Waverly’s lips and cheek and jaw with kisses while Waverly’s breath became more and more stilted with each slow thrust of her fingers.

 

Blunted fingernails dug into Cole’s shoulder as Waverly’s back arched underneath her, hips rocking and circling, chasing Cole’s building thrusts. Cole nuzzled in close to Waverly’s neck, licking and nipping and lightly sucking at the tender skin as she allowed more of her weight to settle over Waverly. The added weight forced Waverly to hitch one leg up, and Cole felt it wrap loosely around her hip. Cole could read that sign a mile away and allowed even more of her weight to come to rest between Waverly’s thighs, opening Waverly even further to the ministrations of her hand. The new position slotted Cole’s mons to fit in behind her own hand as well, and as she continued to thrust her hips rocked in time, driving her fingers in deeper and deeper.

 

Waverly certainly seemed to appreciate the extra force, especially with the way she was panting out Cole’s name over and over, almost chanting it like a prayer, husky and driven and reverent. Cole knew Waverly was close, she had to be, she just needed a little push. Cole opened her jaw and latched onto _that_ spot on the side of Waverly’s neck, the one sort of up under her ear where Waverly was particularly sensitive. She drove her fingers in as deep as they would go and curled them harshly against Waverly’s front wall. As she did, she bit down, and Waverly’s inner walls clamped down so tight Cole thought her fingers might be forced out by the sheer power of it. She continued curling her fingers as best she could against Waverly’s vise-like inner walls.  Waverly’s whole body went stiff a few curls later, her nails digging long gouges along Cole’s back, as Cole continued to rock her body against Waverly’s frozen form.

 

Waverly’s other hand slapped against Cole’s upper arm as the tremors started; first as just a fluttering deep inside Waverly’s pulsing heat, but then the shivers and shakes spread, radiating through Waverly like ripples on a still pond. Waverly’s nails dug in again, in Cole’s back, and now in her bicep as well. The pain was one of the sweetest things Cole had ever felt, that Waverly had so little control over herself in that moment, that she couldn’t help herself but to clutch to Cole tightly as she could. It inspired Cole to keep going, curling her fingers despite the burning ache that was developing in her wrist and forearm from the effort. She kept pace, curling and kissing and sucking and rocking, until the tremors began to fade. She slowed inside, withdrawing a little only to push back in, slowly working out every twitch and pulse Waverly had to give.

 

Eventually, Waverly’s grip relaxed, and Cole was absolutely certain she would have little half-moon shapes dug into her skin from Waverly’s nails on her arm. She didn’t even want to think about her back. The way it was burning, Cole knew Waverly had broken the skin. She rolled her shoulders a little, the one bearing the better majority of her weight felt like it might be stuck in this position now, but Cole didn’t complain, couldn’t complain, when her fingers were still buried knuckle deep inside Waverly. She did shift a little, drawing a loud groan from Waverly’s lips. Figuring Waverly was probably pretty sensitive after all that stimulation, Cole slowly withdrew her fingers. She almost didn’t have the heart to though, because the whimper that Waverly released sounded almost disappointed, but she withdrew nonetheless, pushing up on her arm a little to give herself room to free her hand and wrist from between them.

 

Her fingers were sticky and for just a moment Cole thought about wiping them on the bed, so she could get back to touching Waverly, but there was a temptation there. Recognizing the opportunity for what it was, Cole shifted, quickly pulling her face from where it was still buried against Waverly’s neck and immediately slipped her fingers into her own mouth. The first swipe of her tongue brought that familiar tanginess, only amplified, concentrated. She sucked greedily at her fingers, relishing in the tart, salted-honey flavor for a moment or two, before she felt Waverly’s dry lips press to the underside of her jaw. She opened her eyes to find Waverly staring up at her wide-eyed, almost hopeful. Cole brought her fingers away from her mouth, only to seal her lips over Waverly’s slightly chapped ones. Waverly groaned into the kiss as it quickly became heated, with tongues tangling and lips sucking. Cole knew that Waverly liked the taste of herself on Cole’s tongue, and she rejoiced in it, offering Waverly her mouth without objection.

 

As they kissed, Waverly squirmed and arched up against her, trying to urge Cole over onto her back. She laughed into Waverly’s mouth as she pushed up on her arm, the one that had been mostly still tucked underneath Waverly’s shoulder. She groaned involuntarily as her muscles protested and the shoulder joint creaked. She quickly shook off the stiff feeling though, as the pins and needles set in. It didn’t really bother Cole though, because her position, kneeling between Waverly’s knees, afforded Cole the best view she could imagine. Waverly was grinning like a fool, eye lids heavy and fluttering. She was still trying to catch her breath, chest heaving, breasts swaying with the movement. Cole noticed how Waverly’s stomach muscles had tensed again and her hips were starting to squirm and writhe, seeking contact again. It was a marvelous sight, that Waverly was so eager, so ready for more. Cole began to feel sort of hypnotized by the slow undulating motion of Waverly’s hips. Waverly’s husky whisper broke Cole from her revelry though, “Cole, what about you, baby?”

 

The concern Cole could hear in Waverly’s voice was almost as arousing as her words. That Waverly was just as interested in Cole’s pleasure as her own, was awe-inspiring to Cole. Never had anyone cared so much about her wants and needs, and Cole wondered how she ever got so lucky. All the emotions swirling inside her, caused Cole’s throat to tighten, straining her voice a little as she replied, “There’ll be time for me later, Wave. Right now, I just want you, alright?”

 

Cole could see the way Waverly’s smile turned a little mischievous, as she leaned up, bringing her hand to cup Cole’s jaw. The gesture was so soft and tender though, that Cole immediately sank into the contact, relishing in the warmth of Waverly’s palm. They sat staring into each other’s eyes for a moment before Waverly whined softly and whispered, “But, I- I want you, too.”

 

Cole shuddered against Waverly’s desperation, her sex throbbing at the thought of Waverly pleasuring her. She wanted that, that connection with Waverly, but with Waverly’s legs still spread before her, the desire to feel Waverly lose control again was just as strong as before. Cole felt so torn, wanting to please and be pleased, that she almost missed Waverly’s next words, “What if… what if I said I might have an idea about how we can both get what we want?”

 

The shy, sultry tone was more than enough to pique Cole’s interest, even as images of all sorts of things flashed through her mind and Cole had to admit those images looked rather pleasurable. She thought back to her earlier statement and realized Waverly really had been thinking about this. Cole arched an eyebrow, her lips pursing into a pucker as she considered Waverly’s words again and she found she was more than willing to explore whatever Waverly had dreamed up. “What did you have in mind, baby?” Cole asked almost coolly, only barely containing her eagerness.

 

The sudden blush on Waverly’s cheeks told Cole that whatever Waverly had planned made her nervous, but she hoped Waverly would find it in herself to trust her enough to continue. After a moment or two of tense silence, Waverly finally responded, “It-It might be easier if I just show you. Do you- do you trust me?”

 

Cole felt a little alarmed, chuckling almost nervously, wondering how Waverly could even ask her that. She nodded quickly, even as she leaned in to press her lips to Waverly’s again. When they separated, Waverly’s eyes were glossed over again. That dopey grin was back too, and Cole couldn’t help but mirror it. She took Waverly’s face between her hands as she said, “Of course I trust you, with my life. Why wouldn’t I trust you in this?”

 

Waverly nuzzled into Cole’s touch and their eyes met again. Seeing that mischievous look returning to Waverly’s features again, Cole shivered in anticipation. Waverly’s hands came up to cover her own. They squeezed briefly before Waverly’s fingers trailed up her arms to her shoulders. Waverly pushed gently on one shoulder and Cole moved with the pressure, allowing Waverly to guide her over onto her back.

 

Cole watched Waverly’s brow furrow in concentration as she shifted around, coming to rest at Cole’s side, knees pressed against her ribs and hip. Cole squirmed a little as Waverly’s hands began trailing all over her, the throbbing between her thighs ratcheting up with every caress. Fingertips brushed her collarbone and her neck and eventually down over her shoulder and arm. A hand squeezed at her hip, a palm slid over her thigh. Cole parted her legs when urged to and she gasped as Waverly ran her fingers over her core. Not firm enough to offer any relief to the ache building there, but enough to make Cole’s hips jerk up in search of more. Waverly hummed beside her, obviously pleased with herself to be eliciting such reactions and Cole couldn’t even think about being embarrassed about it.

 

When one of Waverly’s hands came to rest over her wrist, Cole turned to putty in her hands, allowing Waverly to position her however she pleased. Cole’s eyes slipped shut as Waverly leaned over her and started kissing across her already quivering stomach muscles. She arched up as Waverly’s mouth moved lower, hissing as teeth dragged heavily against the skin covering her hip. Cole gasped when Waverly’s nose nuzzled into the dark curls covering her sex. She was so distracted by all the sensations, she almost missed it when Waverly started to shift.

 

First, the hand that was trailing over Cole’s sex retreated, pressing down into the mattress beside her leg instead. Then, Waverly’s knees shifted up her body along her side. Cole’s eyes shot open just in time to watch as one of those knees passed over her body, settling on her other side. Groaning, Cole zeroed in on the hot, wet, swollen sight before her, just as Waverly’s tongue traced the junction between Cole’s thigh and her sex. Cole was sure there was smoke coming out her ears from how fast her brain was working trying to absorb everything that was happening. Waverly’s weight over her, Waverly licking and flicking her way over Cole’s most sensitive places, Waverly’s pleased hum at the first taste of Cole and then the aggressive, little growl immediately after. But, what was really overwhelming Cole was Waverly’s scent, rich and robust and right in front of her face.

 

Cole gasped suddenly as Waverly’s tongue flattened against her. Her hips shuddered, chasing Waverly’s already retreating tongue. Waverly groaned against her, the sound starting so deep in Waverly’s chest that her whole body vibrated against Cole’s prone frame. Waverly’s hips dipped down a bit and Cole felt something hot drop onto to the skin of her cheek. She fixed her eyes up again, staring, frozen. A broken choking sound arose as her breathe caught hard in her throat. Waverly was _dripping,_ literally. There was a desperate urge to cover Waverly’s sex with her mouth and drink every drop, and suddenly Cole thought, ‘Well, what the hell is stopping you?’

 

She pressed up, instantly taking the swollen head of Waverly’s sex between her lips. She was amazed at how hard and full it became after just the slightest bit of attention. She lapped at the straining bud as she sucked the shaft. Her head bobbed as she chased Waverly’s swiveling hips, desperate to keep contact, desperate to drink Waverly in. Her arms instinctually wrapped around Waverly’s thighs, so her hands could grip Waverly’s rear. She dug her fingertips into the supple flesh beneath them and pulled Waverly down harder against her face.

 

Waverly’s hot breath crested over Cole’s sex as she panted and moaned, and the resulting groan that tore from Cole’s throat forced a shiver to race through Waverly’s body, causing her to tremble against Cole’s hold. Cole growled and pulled down again, thoroughly burying her face in Waverly’s slick heat. Waverly arched against her at the slightly rough treatment, whimpering urgently, before her head sank down between Cole’s thighs again. The moment wet heat enveloped Cole’s sex she thought she might black out. Her mind reeled, giving and receiving at the same time was extraordinary, but Cole quickly found that trying to keep any sort of rhythm was nearly impossible, and concentrating for more than a few moments at a time was even harder. It seemed like it didn’t matter though, because before too long, Waverly’s sex was rocking down against her face with wild abandon, all while Waverly kept licking and sucking and nipping at Cole’s sex with equal fervor.

 

Cole gasped when she felt the slightest edge of Waverly’s teeth graze over her, her hips snapping up and holding there as her body seized in satisfaction. Cole knew what was coming for her. She determined to bring Waverly over the edge with her. She quickly re-secured her hold on the peak of Waverly’s sex, sucking and flicking the straining bud with all she had. Waverly went stiff above her just as Cole fell over into ecstasy. A mere moment later, a veritable flood gushed from Waverly’s opening, streaming over Cole’s face and neck; a few beads even making it as far as the bedding beneath her head.

 

Cole stilted herself against the instinct to sputter and pull away from the sheer amount of fluid streaming from Waverly’s sex. Instead, she rejoiced in it; the taste, all musky tartness and sweet, honeyed brine. She licked and sucked at Waverly’s lips, utterly savoring the moment. She blinked her eyes open to the sight of Waverly’s sex pulsing and clenching, entrance gaping and collapsing as Waverly’s release gradually slowed. Each undulation of Waverly’s walls pushed out more and more of Waverly’s essence and even though the steady stream was slowing, Cole could help herself. She pressed up, swiping a broad swath up with her tongue, trying to collect as much of Waverly’s flavor that she could.

 

Cole reveled in the feeling of Waverly’s breath hitching against her thigh at the contact. Cole drove her tongue through Waverly’s folds again and when Waverly’s hips chased her touch, Cole groaned. “Again?” she husked, voice rough and throat tight in anticipation.

 

Waverly nodded against her thigh but began shifting away. Cole whimpered as Waverly’s sex got further and further away from her. Waverly laughed softly, saying, “Patience. I have a plan remember?”

 

Cole wanted to grab Waverly’s hips and drown herself again, but when Waverly’s hips settled over her own, Waverly’s slick inner thighs rubbing against the outside of Cole’s, Cole could only whine in response. Waverly rocked forward, dragging her wetness over Cole’s mound, moaning and arching into the friction. Cole’s eyes fluttered closed, when Waverly’s hips dropped back again, Cole’s legs shifted. Waverly’s outer lips parted at the direct contact, and then one slick heat met another. “God, baby!” Cole cried out, hands instantly clutching the blanket beneath her.

 

A hand planted itself in the middle of Cole’s chest, fingernails digging in when Waverly rocked her hips up again. Cole hissed and groaned, the conflicting feelings of pleasure and pain sending her brain into overdrive. She bucked her own hips up as Waverly’s thrust forward again and the slow drag of flesh against flesh quickly became more heated. More weight pressed into Cole’s chest, Waverly’s other hand gripping and squeezing her breast. Waverly’s other hand shifted as well, and Cole cried out again, as both of Waverly’s hands massaged her chest. Cole’s nipples hardened in an instant, standing out against the soft skin of Waverly’s palms.

 

As they fell into a rhythm together, Cole released her grip in the bedding to grasp onto Waverly’s waist instead. Waverly’s back bowed, as leaned she her body into Cole’s embrace. The change in angle caused Waverly to slip down a little further in between Cole’s legs, driving Waverly’s sex to drag more solidly over her own. The sudden change in pressure had Cole spitting out a curse, even as she rocked against Waverly in search of that contact again.

 

Eventually, their movements grew more and more erratic, both grinding shamelessly against the other, breaths mixing as they panted against each other’s mouths, hands gripping and clenching and grasping. The build up to their second shared release was almost excruciatingly slow, but when it finally crested Cole felt the most content she ever had in her life. She was surrounded by the evidence of her connection to Waverly; the air thick with the scent of it, their bodies slick with its presence, Cole’s muscles tired from its use of them.

 

Waverly slumped on top of her, the woman she loved utterly spent, panting softly against Cole’s chest. Cole was doing her best to get her own breath under control. They relaxed into each other, lying there for several minutes before either one said anything. It was Cole who finally broke the silence to say, “Wave, baby. You are incredible, did you know that?”

 

Waverly hummed against her chest before replying, “Not as incredible as you, Cole. God, I- I love you, so much.”

 

“I love you too, Waverly,” Cole said sweetly, rubbing her hand over Waverly’s back to warm the goose-pimpled flesh. Waverly shivered against her and Cole immediately asked, “Are you cold?”

 

Waverly huffed against the side of her neck. “Yeah, but I don’t wanna move,” Waverly whispered against her skin, drawing a shiver from Cole as well.

 

She laughed a little huskily, even as she said, “Well, then don’t.” Waverly gasped as Cole rolled them, her eyes flashing open when Cole pressed up over her. “I’ll take care of you,” Cole continued coyly, drawing the blanket and sheets away from the bed on one side. Waverly laughed against her mouth as Cole rolled them back over into the bare spot Cole had just made. A moment later they were burrowed inside the warm nest of soft sheets, and heavy quilts, and of course, each other. It wasn’t long before the exhaustion of their love making, and the day itself, caught up with the both of them, plunging them deep into sleep.

 

~~~

 

Cole woke with a heavy pressure on her bladder and a mouth full of hair. At first, she was almost confused, but as the events from the night before rushed back to her, she sighed contentedly. Waverly was still straddled over her, all of Waverly’s weight on top of her. Cole shifted slightly, and Waverly’s hip dug into the flesh over her bladder and Cole nearly wet herself. She groaned at the discomfort, and Waverly stirred, mumbling only briefly against her neck, before going still again. “Wave,” Cole husked, voice so rough from deep sleep she wasn’t sure Waverly would even hear the hushed sound. Deciding her voice couldn’t be trusted, Cole ran her hand up over Waverly’s side and onto her back, gently rousing her love with the tender touches.

 

Waverly eventually grumbled, “Stop… Wanna sleep.” Her weight slumped against Cole’s chest again and Cole couldn’t hold in the groan as Waverly’s hip drove into her bladder again. The sound must have shocked Waverly because she shot upright, sputtering, “Wha- What?”

 

The sudden shift of Waverly’s weight had Cole instantly groaning yet again. Her hands shot up to Waverly’s waist, and she lifted as much of Waverly’s petite frame off of her as she could, hissing as she clenched her thighs together. “Shhh-it, babe, sorry,” Cole cried out softly as Waverly grunted in pain. Cole used her hold to shift Waverly’s weight a bit over her thighs before releasing her. Catching her breathe a little, Cole panted, “I- I have to- where’s the- the outhouse?”

 

Waverly flushed even as she struggled to get off of Cole, muttering solemnly, “Half way back to the main house.”

 

“Alright, I’ll be back in just a minute then,” Cole replied when she gathered herself together enough to get out of the bed. She threw on her long shorts and her undershirt and dashed out the door. In the low light of the early morning, she spotted the outhouse fairly quickly, and made an immediate beeline for the small structure. Just as she reached the door, it swung open and there was Wynonna, in Doc’s shirt from the night before. Cole blushed furiously, realizing instantly that Wynonna was wearing nothing but Doc’s shirt. “Oh god,” she exclaimed, quickly averting her eyes.

 

Wynonna seemed less bothered by her near nakedness, saying, “What? It’s not like I got anything you haven’t seen before.”

 

Cole was beyond uncomfortable, mostly because she had to admit Wynonna really was attractive, but she was also Waverly’s sister, so she knew she shouldn’t be thinking like that. Eyes still cast downward, she mumbled, “Uh, yeah, sorry. Just wasn’t, uh, expecting to run into anyone this early.”

 

Wynonna snickered and took a step closer. Her smirk was so big, Cole could practically hear it in her voice when she replied, “Oh that’s alright, Cole. You enjoy yourself last night?”

 

“Wynonna!” Cole exclaimed loudly, probably too loudly, but she was still fighting off the shock of nearly naked Wynonna. Combined that with Wynonna’s traumatizing tone and the probing nature of her question, Cole felt like she might just turn and walk away. Maybe then she could die of embarrassment with some dignity. Wynonna didn’t let up though, quickly adding, “You know, Waverly and I had an interesting little chat yesterday.” She paused as if contemplating what to say next and Cole couldn’t stop her gaze from shifting up quickly to Wynonna’s face. Cole was right, Wynonna’s smirk was devious and sharp and oh-so-wide. Cole squirmed under her stare, as Wynonna continued, “The ‘no bloomers’ thing was my idea, just so you know.” Cole’s mind reeled with thoughts of ‘What had Wynonna and Waverly’s ‘little chat’ entailed, exactly?’ and then, ‘If Wynonna knew that detail, how many others did she know?’ Cole didn’t get very long to contemplate that though, as Wynonna hooted with laughter, saying, “Well, I’ll be. She actually did it. Way to go, babygirl.”

 

Cole thought Wynonna actually sounded impressed and when Cole looked up again, she found Wynonna staring back at her with something like hope in her eyes. “Cole, you don’t have to be embarrassed,” Wynonna began again, moving in slowly to rest her hand on Cole’s shoulder. Cole thought about flinching away, not wanting to be comforted, but Wynonna was Waverly’s sister and thus she allowed the contact with only a slight shudder. Wynonna seemed to not to notice her discomfort, or if she did, she just didn’t worry herself about, because she obviously still had more to say. Wynonna’s voice was almost comfortingly she added, “You and Waverly… she said she wanted to make last night special for you, for both of you. So, I encouraged her to… you know, do something special, just for you. You should have seen her face when I suggested she not to wear underpants. It was almost as red as yours is now.”

 

That image brought her back to the night before, to Waverly’s shy admission of why she’d chosen not to wear anything under her chemise. The pretty pink blush that crept up her face, the way she stuttered through her confession. Cole remembered the way it had made her feel to know that Waverly had been thinking about them, together. She had to admit it did feel strangely good to know that Waverly hadn’t just thought about it, but had sought out her older, more-worldly sister for advice. “How much did she tell you about her _plans_ last night?” Cole asked almost sheepishly, hoping Wynonna would understand her emphasis.

 

“Admittedly, not much,” Wynonna replied quickly, but Cole knew that wasn’t the whole story. She intentionally rasied one of her eyebrows and almost smirked when Wynonna added, “Just that she was trying to come up with a way for, uh, the two of you to… oh, you know, like… together.”

 

Cole smiled at the way Wynonna tensed as she spoke, and Cole couldn’t help thinking maybe Wynonna wasn’t as comfortable talking about this as she thought. Turning the tables, Cole said, “Oh, yeah. That was pretty great. She-”

 

Wynonna face distorted into something of a sneer as she abruptly interrupted, “Ew, no. I don’t need particulars, Cole. Waverly is still my sister, and you just happen to be the fool she fell in love with, so we can just skip all that.” Cole just laughed as Wynonna started backing away, muttering to herself, “Yep, or maybe we just act like this conversation never happened. Yep, that sounds about right. Never happened. Good not talking to you, Cole.” Wynonna waved vaguely over her retreating shoulder, and Cole only laughed harder at the way Wynonna shuddered as she walked away.

 

Cole’s forgotten bladder protested suddenly, all the laughter shaking up that powder keg, and Cole groaned as she quickly moved into the outhouse, sighing in relief the very second the door closed.

 

~~~

 

Waverly was sprawled on her stomach across the bed when Cole returned to the bedroom of their small home. The covers had ridden down to only be covering her lower half, and Cole stopped for a second in the doorway to admire her love’s sleeping form; arms and legs out at all angles, exposed skin of her back glistening with a slight sheen of sweat, and her hair in her own mouth this time. The scene was too tempting, Cole just had to know what the skin of her back tasted like.

 

She crossed the room quickly, sliding into the bed as gently as possible, wanting to wake Waverly with her kisses. She knelt beside one of Waverly’s thighs and instantly leaned in, pressing her lips to Waverly’s shoulder. Cole sighed against the slightly salty skin, and everywhere her hot breath touched became covered in goose-pimples. Not removing her lips, Cole smiled as she began to run a line of kisses across Waverly’s shoulder all the way up her neck to her ear.

 

Waverly shuddered in her sleep and stirred, muscles tensing for just a split second before relaxing again. Cole smiled against her skin again, when she felt Waverly’s heart rate quicken against her lips. “Good morning, Waves,” Cole purred against her ear, before moving her lips back down Waverly’s neck.

 

Cole definitely wasn’t expecting the resulting flinch that traveled through Waverly’s body. Waverly hissed a little too, expelling air too quickly and Cole immediately pulled away, scooching up to look at the skin on the side of Waverly’s neck. The round, purple bruise she found there, where her lips had just been, was shocking and for a second, she panicked, thinking something terrible must be wrong with Waverly. There was no way her tender morning kisses would cause such damage. She stuttered quickly, “Wave, are you? Did I?”

 

Waverly rolled toward her and Cole had to shake her head, trying to reconcile the grin on Waverly’s lips and the bruise of her neck. “Not just now… Last night,” Waverly said huskily, voice not awake yet.

 

Those two words brought Cole back; buried knuckle deep inside Waverly, mouthing at her neck, biting _that_ spot. The way Waverly had reacted to the bite hadn’t been one of pain, but Cole couldn’t help but regret the action now, seeing the evidence turned her stomach. She was almost on the verge of tears when she tried to apologize, “I-I’m sorry, baby. I- I didn’t mean-”

 

“No,” Waverly blurted, interrupting roughly. Cole could see the muscles of Waverly’s neck working as she swallowed. The movement of Waverly’s skin made the bruise ripple and Cole was thankful she hadn’t had breakfast yet, because her stomach instantly rolled again, and she was sure that if there was anything in her stomach she would have seen it again by now. Cole’s eyes snapped up to Waverly’s when a hand cupped her cheek. Waverly was looking up at her with nothing but love and affection, and maybe a little desire, in her eyes as she explained, “Cole, you haven’t done anything to be sorry for. I- I liked it. I like it.” Waverly reached up and touch the bruise as she added, “I like that I have a reminder of where you’ve been on my body. Just like, I like seeing where I’ve been on yours.”

 

Cole’s brow furrow slightly as she thought back through the night before. She quickly rolled her shoulders, and felt something itch at her back. She pulled her shirt off in a flash, Waverly gasping at the sudden exposure. Cole spun so Waverly could see her back and Waverly gasped again, quickly saying, “Oh, poor baby, you look like you were mauled by a bear.”

 

Cole shuddered and sighed when she felt Waverly’s fingertips run over the itchy trails. Waverly shifted behind her and Cole choked when she felt Waverly’s lips press down across those lines. “See, that’s what I mean. It’s nice; not bad,” Waverly whispered huskily against her neck.

 

“But…” Cole began, taking a moment to collect her thoughts, and to push past the way Waverly’s lips on her skin distracted her, before finally saying, “But, the-the evidence of where I’ve been on your body is a little bit more obvious than where you’ve been on mine, baby. I’m just…” Cole paused, trying to think of some accurate way to express how she was feeling; embarrassed, aroused, regretful, maybe just conflicted.

 

Before Cole could figure out how to continue, Waverly interrupted her thoughts, saying, “Cole, it’s alright. If you want I can wear things with high collars for a few days.” Cole watched as Waverly gently probed at the side of her neck. When she found the top of the bruise, she added, “Yep, I have at least one dress that’ll cover that.”

 

Cole wasn’t completely relieved by Waverly’s plan, but she did feel better knowing that they could keep this just between them if they wanted, because, to Cole, the last thing she wanted was Wynonna getting ahold of this and running with it. They were on good terms for now, but if Waverly’s sister knew that Cole was leaving bruises all over Waverly, she probably wouldn’t be too happy about it. Cole didn’t resist when Waverly turned her though, quickly swooping in for a kiss. The bruise and Wynonna’s reaction didn’t seem like a very pressing matter when Waverly’s lips where pressed against her own.

 

It wasn’t long before the kiss turned heated and when Waverly shifted to pull Cole down on top of her, Cole couldn’t think of any place she’d rather be.

 

~~~

 

Hours later, when they finally emerged from the house, Wynonna and Doc were waiting for them in the yard. Cole could see they were deep in conversation, but as she and Waverly approached, Wynonna and Doc broke apart and that’s when Cole noticed the pistol strapped to Wynonna’s hip, obviously slung lower than she was used to, probably for an easier draw. Wynonna pulled the long-barreled Buntline from the holster a few times and then turned to Doc and said, “I won’t say you were right, but that is easier.”

 

Doc snickered a little and replied, “Well, darlin’, you might not have said it, but you said it, anyway.”

 

Cole and Waverly both laughed a little at the scowl that set in on Wynonna’s face, but when she finally turned towards them, Wynonna’s eyes were alight with mischief. “Well, so nice of you two to join the rest of the world,” Wynonna crooned, and Cole didn’t miss the way Wynonna’s eyes flicked to Waverly’s neck. She grimaced when she realized that Wynonna knew exactly why Waverly was wearing the high-collared blue dress that she had on. And, of course, Wynonna wasn’t going to let it pass without some sort of comment, saying, “You look quite the pair, too. I wonder though, are you two going to dress to match all the time or is this just a coincidence?”

 

Cole glanced over to Waverly and then down at herself. Waverly was wearing a soft blue dress, with a white ruffle at the neck. Cole remembered watching Waverly put it on and thinking that it would make a nice wedding dress; simple, yet not too simple. Cole, herself, had put on her newest jeans, and the shirt she had bought in Dodge, because she thought Waverly would like the color. She blushed when she realized that the blue of her shirt was the same color as Waverly’s dress, only the dress was several shades lighter. Her blushed deepened exponentially when Wynonna snickered, and added, “What time should we meet you at the church?”

 

Cole went stock still as Waverly sighed softly beside her. They hadn’t talked about when, but when Cole turned to Waverly, just in time to hear her say, “What time is it now?” Cole’s heart lurched up into her throat.

 

Before Cole had a chance to do more than breathe, Doc whipped out his pocket watch and said, “A little after one.”

 

Cole just stood there, sort of dumbfoundedly staring at Wynonna as Waverly replied, “Well, how does four o’clock sound?”

 

The shock had Cole gasping for air, choking out a soft, “Wave,” in response. She didn’t know what to say, much less how to feel, but when their eyes met again, Cole could see the sincerity in Waverly’s eyes. She wanted this, wanted to be Missus Cole Haught, and the sooner the better. Waverly’s sweet smile and sparkling eyes gave Cole a boost of confidence she wasn’t expecting and she half-blurted, “Yeah! We, uh, we just have to check with your dad and see if he’ll perform the ceremony. I mean, he already said he would, but we should probably make sure he hasn’t made other plans for his afternoon.”

 

Wynonna’s eyes went impressively wide in shock, and Waverly clutched at Cole’s arm. Cole turned towards the latter and despite the slight trepidation she could see there, Waverly seemed mostly eager, or maybe she was just happy to see someone else turning the tables back on Wynonna for once. “Have you all seen Dad today?” Waverly asked, a huge grin on her face.

 

“He’s in the house at the moment, actually. Said something about finding a book he misplaced the last time he was here,” Doc said approvingly. Cole could tell he was pleased about this turn of events, his moustache twitching up, hiding his smirk underneath.

 

“Great!” Waverly exclaimed, immediately gripping onto Cole’s wrist. Waverly all but dragged Cole away from Wynonna and Doc, calling over her shoulder, “Wynonna, you should probably go change! Can’t have my maid of honor looking like that, now can I?”

 

It was a moment or two before Cole heard Wynonna yelling back, “Looking like what?!”

 

Waverly just laughed as they reached the back porch of the main house, and Cole thought it was the most beautiful sound she ever heard.

 

~~~

 

Inside the house, it was quiet when they entered. Waverly started leading Cole through the house, but she stalled in the kitchen, quickly turning into Cole’s arms. Waverly hugged her tight as she whispered, “Is- is this alright?”

 

Cole smiled as she wrapped her own arms around Waverly and hugged her just as tight. She wasn’t certain what Waverly was asking, but she had a good idea. She took just a moment to collect her thoughts about it, before finally saying, “Waverly, I’d love to marry you today. And, I- I wasn’t lying when I said Wyatt had already offered. And, he knows… you know, about me. I told him when we were on the train back. Didn’t think it was right not being honest, especially ‘cause he had just said he liked me ‘cause I seemed honest.”

 

Waverly just squeezed her tighter for a moment before she replied, “Cole Haught, you’re something else. You know that?” Cole craned her neck a little, watching as a dreamy sort of look came over Waverly’s face; that sparkle in her eyes, the dopey, sated grin, and a certain redness rising in her cheeks. Almost breathlessly, Waverly whispered, “Well, then, let’s go see about getting hitched.” She took a step back from their embrace, looking deep into Cole’s eyes as she added, “I love you, Cole, and I can’t wait to marry you.”

 

Cole’s heart swelled, beating hard against her chest as she easily replied, “I love you, too, Waverly.”

 

A dry cough came from somewhere behind them, the sound of someone clearing their throat. When Cole managed to pull her gaze away from Waverly, she turned toward the sound and found Wyatt standing in the doorway to the kitchen, an old, weather beaten, book clutched tightly in his hands. He was wearing a sweet smile and Cole thought he looked proud, as he said, “You two look like you’ve got somethin’ to ask me?”

 

Cole opened her mouth to reply, but before she could form the words she knew she needed to say, Waverly beat her to it, exclaiming excitedly, “We wanna get married!”

 

Wyatt laughed, obviously amused by his daughter’s enthusiasm, as he replied, “Yes, that is the distinct impression I got when you said ‘yes’ last night.”

 

Cole glanced over at Waverly, catching the hot blush rising in her cheeks. She stepped forward towards Wyatt and said, “We were hoping you would marry us… today.” Cole could detect the slight trepidation in Wyatt face at that suggestion and quickly added, “I understand if you’re apprehensive, this is all sorta fast, but I love your daughter, sir, and I’d love to have the opportunity to love her for the rest of my life, too.”

 

He seemed to consider her words carefully, and for a moment Cole was worried he might say no, but when his lips quirked up into a grin, Cole realized he was watching Waverly. She glanced over, and Waverly was biting her bottom lip between her teeth, teetering on the edge of blurting something else out. Cole turned to Waverly then, taking Waverly’s hands in her own and quietly asked, “What is it, baby?”

 

Waverly swooned a little, leaning into Cole’s space as she replied quietly, but still excitedly, “I- I want that too. You, forever.”

 

The words were barely above a whisper, but to Cole they sounded like a declaration shouted from a mountain top. The force of those words, and the feelings they evoked, made Cole lean in too. The kiss they shared then was better than any one they had shared so far. It was as if they were speaking volumes to each other, only with no words; a simple, soft press of lips to express everything they felt for each other.

 

Wyatt cleared his throat again, this time much louder than before and Cole quickly stepped back realizing they were pushing the boundaries of propriety again, and this time in front of Waverly’s father. She sputtered slightly when she finally turned back to Wyatt and said, “We… We were hoping you would marry us today at four o’clock.”

 

“Four o’clock,” Wyatt echoed, brow furrowing in thought. Cole stood at Waverly’s side and watched as he shifted the book into one hand and then withdrew his pocket watch. “Well, you best head into town now then,” Wyatt finally added, clicking the watch closed and looking back at them.

 

There was something unreadable in Wyatt’s expression, and Cole couldn’t help but ask, “And why’s that?” His coy grin immediately reminded Cole of Waverly’s little smile that looked just like it. It was obvious then where Waverly got her expressive face from. Only a moment later, Cole felt Waverly’s fingers flex and squeeze around her wrist again. Before she knew it, Waverly was moving back towards the back door of the house, dragging Cole along with her.

 

As they broke the threshold, she heard Wyatt laughing as he called out, “Cause Gus is gonna need all the time she can get to make Shorty’s presentable enough for a reception!”

 

~~~

 

When they got outside, Wynonna and Doc were still there, almost as if the other couple had been waiting for them. Waverly quickly conferred with Wynonna and before Cole could glean anything about their conversation, Wynonna was marching away from the group, obviously on a mission of some sort. Waverly turned back to the two of them and said, “Alright, Doc, you’re next.”

 

Cole stood shocked as they walked away, leaving her just standing there in the yard. She suspected (read: knew) Waverly was up to something, but quickly decided she wouldn’t try to figure it out. She knew Waverly liked to plan and if last night was any gauge for the plans to come, she would gladly wait and be surprised.

 

When Waverly returned a few minutes later, she seemed even more excited than she had been before she had sent Wynonna and Doc off on their missions. She pushed up into Cole’s space immediately, pressing their lips together for a not-so-chaste kiss. Cole instantly relaxed into it, and as it became more heated, Cole was glad they were only a hundred yards or so from their bed. She wasn’t sure they had time, but part of her ached to return to the privacy of their little home and show Waverly just how much she worshipped her all over again.

 

Waverly seemed to sense where Cole’s thoughts were headed, because all too quickly, Waverly pulled back from the kiss with a whispered, “Later, love, later,” before taking Cole’s wrist again and dragging her towards the barn.

 

~~~

 

The next few hours were hectic, to say the least, but standing at the end of the aisle, Doc at one side, Wyatt at the other, Cole’s heart pounded like never before. She wasn’t nervous, at least not about marrying Waverly. What did make her nervous though, was the way Doc kept ringing his hands together. When Cole finally turned towards him, intent on asking him to stop, she realized he was holding a small box, working it open and closed with his fingers. She watched for a moment and when she saw a flash of metal inside, she gasped. “Doc, are you planning what I think you’re planning?” she whispered, so the folks who were in the front few rows of benches wouldn’t hear.

 

Doc cast his gaze up to meet Cole’s, quickly pressing the lid back on all the way and sliding the box into his pocket. “I haven’t a clue as to what you might be suggesting, son,” he replied, mouth twitching up into that familiar, knowing grin.

 

Cole wanted to press him, ask exactly what the hell he was planning, but before she could figure out how to ask him without rudely intruding, the organ cranked up. Cole’s eyes snapped to the back of the room, just as Wynonna came through the door. She looked beautiful, despite the red wetness that clung to her eyes, wearing a simple frock dress of a similar color to Waverly’s dress from earlier. Cole heard the slightest intake of breath from Doc, but then the door opened again, and suddenly nothing else mattered.

 

Cole’s vision tunneled, and all she could see was Waverly. Her petite frame was elegantly accentuated by her dress and bustier, and Cole thought for a moment she was floating down the aisle she was so graceful. Her long, honey-brown hair flowed over one shoulder in a beautiful, but simple braid and her face was so alight with happiness. Cole felt her own lips curl up in a smile at the sight.

 

Thankfully, the room wasn’t very large, so Cole didn’t have to wait long before Waverly was stepping up next to her and taking her hand. Cole was sure her palm was sweaty, not from nerves but from sheer anticipation. Waverly didn’t seem to mind though, simply squeezing her hand even tighter as they turned as one towards Wyatt.

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us here to celebrate the love between these two people before me,” Wyatt announced to the albeit small crowd of guests. He continued, after only a brief pause, “Love isn’t always perfect or easy, but I can’t imagine our world without it. It can be cruel and inconvenient, taking us to the darkest parts of ourselves, but only if you let it. It can start wars and end them. It can soothe old wounds and cause new ones.” He paused again seeming to be considering what to say next, and after a moment or two he sighed heavily and said, “I won’t prattle on, but I will say this, cherish every moment, because no matter what happens, you will always have each other, even long after death separates you. I speak from personal experience when I say, it is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.”

 

Cole could feel her eyes welling with tears, remembering her father saying those exact words to her about her mother. She blinked to try to force back the feelings that stirred and swirled inside her. She couldn’t help but wonder what her father would think if he could see her now. Waverly squeezed her hand a little tighter when Cole sniffled slightly and swiped at her eyes with her free hand.

 

Thankfully, Wyatt continued after only another slight pause, “Please turn to face each other.” Oh-so-slowly, but fast and all at once, Cole turned and when their eyes met the rest of the world faded away yet again. She could hear Wyatt still speaking, but it was as if Cole was underwater, or across a field from him, the sound distant and jumbled. All Cole could focus on was the look of hope and love and devotion on Waverly’s face.

 

Eventually though, Cole had to snap out of her trance. Doc stepped up to her side and Cole’s eyes snapped over to him. She watched in awe as he pulled the little wooden box from his pocket again and lifted the lid. Inside was a simple, shiny silver band with a swirling pattern etched into the metal. When he offered it to her she took it instinctively and turned her attention back to Waverly. The smile she found waiting for her was everything and she vowed in that moment, that no matter what, it was now her mission in life to make Waverly smile like that every day.

 

Wyatt was talking again, but Cole still couldn’t concentrate on the words, not with Waverly reaching out for her to slip that silver band over her finger and up to rest against the ring Cole had already given her. Waverly gasped when it was finally in place and Cole’s eyes flashed up to see what had caused that reaction. A moment later, Waverly whispered, “Dad, it’s… this was mom’s ring, wasn’t it?”

 

Waverly’s words sharpened Cole’s senses, drawing her back to reality. She glanced over at Wyatt as he answered, “Yes, honey. She would have wanted you to have it.” He turned towards Cole and said, “Wynonna, your turn.”

 

Cole struggled to concentrate again when Waverly looked back at her. She barely registered Wynonna stepping up beside Waverly and handing her something. Cole stared into Waverly’s eyes, as she took Cole’s hand and said, “You and me… forever.”

 

When the warm metal slid up over her finger, Cole shivered at the contact. Her eyes snapped down just in time for Waverly fingers to pull back to reveal the dark metal band on her finger. There were no embellishments, no swirling pattern or shiny surface. It looked almost rough, and when Cole rubbed her thumb over it, it was lumpy but not overly so, as if it had been made by someone not used to working on something so small. Instantly, Cole’s eyes drifted over the crowd and found Pete, who was grinning like a fool. She made a mental note to thank him yet again for being a good friend.

 

Waverly’s fingers tightened in hers as Wyatt said cheerily, “Ladies and Gentleman, let’s hear it for the happy couple!”

 

Cole barely had time to register the sound of applause ringing in her ears, before Waverly was pulling her down for a deep, emotional sort of kiss and this time no one dared interrupt them until they were done.

 

~~~

 

When pretty much the entire town descended on Shorty’s, only a short time later, there wasn’t an empty seat in the house. Everyone was laughing and hugging and congratulating Cole and Waverly alike. Gus had whipped up as much food as she could in the time she had, only complaining once about her lack of supplies and preparation time. Curtis was quiet by her side, only taking a moment to shake Cole’s hand and welcome Cole to the Earp family. Nedley made a big commotion when he blurted out that Cole would make a better sheriff than him one day. Chrissy and Pete approached them at one point and when Cole made the joke about them being next Chrissy flashed a bright smile and shoved her hand into Cole’s face, only for Cole to notice a similar ring to her own on Chrissy’s finger, only Chrissy’s had been smoothed and shined to perfection. Wynonna even had a few nice things to say, early on in the evening anyway, but by the time the whiskey really started flowing, Wynonna turned back into her rowdy, raunchy self, claiming that if Cole needed any tips about knowing how to please an Earp woman to let her know. Waverly put her right in her place about that though, declaring she was perfectly satisfied in that department. The blush that rose to Cole’s face after that could’ve probably be seen a mile away.

 

Eventually, the evening slowed down. Folks came by the happy couple and congratulated them again as they took their leave, heading off to their homes. When the last of the guests finally filed out around ten o’clock, Cole felt like she just survived a tornado and to be honest that was exactly what the inside of Shorty’s looked like; tables and chairs all out of place, dirty dishes and mostly empty glasses were strewn about here and there. Gus was the first to start cleaning up, but when Cole started to get up to help, Gus put up a hand and said, “I don’t think so, son. Let us clean this up and you take your new bride home. She looks like she’s about ready to fall asleep sitting up.”

 

Cole looked over at where Waverly and Wyatt had been sitting side by side, to find Waverly leaned over on Wyatt’s shoulder, eyes looking heavy and drooping. Cole’s emotions swelled for what felt like the thousandth time that day, seeing the love of her life so happy and comfortable. “Of course, Gus. Thank you for everything, and I do mean, _everything_ ,” Cole murmured with as much sincerity as she could muster, trying to say it without saying it, that Gus’ gift, Willa’s old gun, had in fact saved her life.

 

Gus only chuckled a little and easily replied, “Your welcome, Cole. Now go on, take your sleepy wife home.”

 

~~~

 

The ride back to the homestead was mostly a quiet one. Waverly was more awake than she had been resting on her father’s shoulder, but she was still wearing that dreamy, half-awake look when Cole helped her climb up into the wagon. When they settled into the seat, Waverly immediately slid one arm in behind Cole and then pulled Cole’s arm up over her shoulder. Cole sighed in utter contentment as Waverly nuzzled in against her side. Looking forward to getting her home, Cole directed the old mule hitched to the wagon to get a move on. They rode in silence for a few long minutes before Cole finally asked, “You still awake down there, baby?”

 

Waverly snuggled closer into Cole’s side, and whispered, “Yeah, I’m just daydreaming, I guess.”

 

“Daydreaming, huh? Care to share?” Cole asked lightly, hoping Waverly would do just that.

 

“Just… about stuff, you know,” Waverly replied, her tone as vague as her words.

 

“Oh, come on, Wave. You can tell me anything,” Cole prodded gently.

 

“I guess, mostly I was imagining falling asleep with you tonight and you still being there in the morning,” Waverly admitted, shyly, drawing her knees up to her chest and hugging them with the arm that wasn’t wrapped around Cole’s waist. Waverly’s next words were so quiet Cole almost missed them, “What are you thinking about?”

 

Cole smirked, because she realized she had been thinking about far less than pure things as that. She wasn’t sure how sleepy Waverly was going to react, but she had been honest with Waverly about her desires so far and wasn’t going to change that now. “Well, baby, I was thinking about that same thing, only we’re- we’re both naked in my head,” she admitted quietly, holding her breath in anticipation.

 

Waverly didn’t respond with words, simply squeezed around Cole’s middle and sighed. Cole leaned over to kiss the top of her head, but Waverly was moving too, and Cole’s lips met a damp cheek instead. Cole immediately thought the worst, but then Waverly shifted against her and suddenly Cole couldn’t see the thin trail in front them anymore, as Waverly’s face moved into her field of view. Cole knew Waverly had been crying but seeing the evidence right in front of her was gut wrenching. She started to apologize, distraught that she had caused Waverly to be that upset, but Waverly caught her lips in a heavy kiss and Cole’s worries melted away. Instinctually, Cole pulled back on the reigns and the wagon slowed to a stop as Waverly kissed her until they both had to pull back, desperate of air. Waverly’s eyes twinkled in the starlight as she panted, “God, take me home, Cole, please just take me.”

 

Cole groaned, images of _taking_ Waverly flashing through her mind. She immediately slapped at the reigns, urging the mule to get moving again. Being able to see the trail in front of her was overrated anyway. The mule jerked, and the wagon lurched forward, the force throwing Waverly deeper into Cole’s lap, but Cole didn’t mind the extra contact. Neither did Waverly for that matter, as she curled up in Cole’s lap for the remainder of the trip to the homestead, content in the closeness for now, but Cole suspected that desperate hunger she had just heard in Waverly’s voice wasn’t gone for good.

 

~~~

 

When they finally got to their little home, Cole stopped them at the doorway, turning to Waverly with a grin. She bent forward quickly and scooped up her bride and marched them both over the threshold, Waverly laughing and giggling the whole way to the bedroom. When Cole set her down on the edge of the bed, Waverly looked up at her with such awe; a deep kind of love that stopped time itself for a moment.

 

Cole barely noticed the box lying in the middle of the bed, too wrapped up in Waverly to be at all concerned about anything else. It wasn’t until Waverly’s eyes flashed over to it that Cole even took note of its size and shape. The box was longish, maybe eight or ten inches, but only about half as wide. It had a twine bow tied around it. The box itself didn’t give much away about what might be inside, so Cole turned her eyes back to Waverly, only to find her fidgeting excitedly.

 

“I- I made something for you. It… it might be too much, but I thought maybe it would be something we’d both like, actually,” Waverly whispered nervously. The little hairs on Cole’s neck stood on end, a mixture of curiosity and excitement flowing through her veins, as she glanced back to the box. Waverly shifted closer to it, patting the bed beside her, as she reached over to pick it up.

 

Cole quickly settled beside her, a little more eager than she’d like, but the way Waverly was acting, Cole knew that whatever was in that box was something big, or important, despite its size. Waverly clutched to the box for a moment and Cole thought she suddenly looked a little apprehensive. Cole just smiled and asked patiently, “Baby, what is it?”

 

Waverly’s eyes went a little wide as she pushed the box back behind her. “It-It’s a surprise and I’ve decided you can’t have it yet,” she sputtered, and Cole thought for a second Waverly was messing with her, until Waverly ordered, “Stand up and take your clothes off, and then I’ll give it you.”

 

Cole wasn’t about to argue with that kind of request, quickly standing from her perch on the edge of the bed and undressing. She didn’t pull her eyes away from Waverly’s hungry stare the entre time. When Cole finally dropped her long shorts in a heap on the floor, Waverly rushed her, immediately kneeling at her feet, the look on her face just as hungry as before, but now there was a spark there Cole hadn’t seen before. “Close your eyes and keep ‘em that way,” Waverly whispered as she ran her hands up Cole’s quivering thighs.

 

Excited to play along, Cole eagerly put all her trust in Waverly and closed her eyes as tight as they would go.

 

Waverly shifted to somewhere nearby, and Cole could only assume she moved back to the bed to retrieve the surprise. Cole’s skin was tingling as she felt Waverly’s ravenous gaze fall upon her again, and the appreciative hum she heard from across the room made the little hairs on her neck stand on end. She could feel Waverly moving back towards her, the air in front of her suddenly swirling with body heat. Her whole body prickled in anticipation of what was about to come.

 

“I’m gonna touch your legs now, alright?” Waverly whispered, her voice coming from somewhere around Cole’s navel.

 

Voice trembling, Cole replied, “Y-yeah, a-l-right,” and a moment later, Waverly’s fingertips traced around one of Cole’s calves. Cole sighed into the touch, easily allowing Waverly to shift her weight and pick up her leg. Waverly pulled forward a little and for a second Cole thought she was going to lose her balance, but then some kind of soft leather brushed the bottom of her foot just before her foot came down to the floor again.

 

“Again,” Waverly whispered, sliding her hand in behind Cole’s other calf.

 

Cole desperately wanted to open her eyes when that same leather feeling brushed the bottom of her other foot, but only seconds later, the leather was brushing against her skin, all the way up her legs, as she felt Waverly stand up in front of her. She gasped as she felt cold metal touch the skin covering her hip and she just couldn’t keep her eyes closed anymore.

 

The first thing she saw was Waverly back on her knees, at her side this time, tugging lightly on the leather and metal that had settled around Cole’s waist. Metal pushed against her skin again and Cole craned her head forward for a better look at whatever Waverly was doing.

 

The first time she saw it, she wasn’t exactly sure what she was seeing, only catching a glimpse as she looked across her shoulder at Waverly, but she instantly whipped her head back forward and shamelessly stared down at the appendage Waverly was strapping to her body. Though Cole had never seen one in real life, she knew exactly what it was supposed to represent. All she could do was stare at it though, baffled by the way it bobbed when her hips jerked instinctually. “Wa- Wave, what i-is that?” she asked when she could finally string two words together.

 

Waverly stood, meeting her eyes as she whispered, seductively, “I think you know exactly what that is, and I think you’ll know exactly what to do with it when the time comes.”

 

Cole’s eyes widened in shock at the suggestion, and she choked a little as heat rose inside her, her face flushing when Waverly quickly ducked around her other side to tighten the strap on that side. The cold metal pressed to her skin a little as the buckle tightened and once Waverly was done, Cole instinctually swiveled her hips, almost experimentally. There were straps that fit around her thighs and her waist, the two attaching at her hips and behind her butt. She was surprised to find the thigh straps gave her considerable dexterity with the new addition. Her eyes flashed over Waverly, who had backed up a step or two to take in her entire form and Cole flushed again, only this time in embarrassment.

 

Cole’s hands immediately moved down to cover the bobbing shaft, suddenly self-conscious, and that was definitely an odd feeling in itself; to be so uncomfortable and insecure about something that wasn’t even really a part of her. She was sure her face was betraying some of her discomfort as well because Waverly immediately moved back to her side and whispered, “Is this ok?”

 

Cole wasn’t really sure what to say to that. It was probably the strangest thing Cole had ever seen, made of supple brown saddle leather with heavy, but mostly even stitching. Cole was so curious about it though and couldn’t help herself, reaching down a little further with one hand to test it texture and firmness. The saddle leather was extra smooth, probably sanded and oiled more than once to feel that satiny. Images of Waverly polishing it didn’t help her remain calm and she gasped when she gripped it in her hand, the rigidity surprising her a little, but that certainly didn’t stop her from imagining the things she could do with an addition like this one.

 

Images spiraled together in her mind; Waverly writhing underneath her, on her knees in front of her, bent over the bed presenting herself for her. But with those images came the not-so-welcome thoughts as well, like how Cole wasn’t enough for Waverly, how she had to have attachments just to satisfy her wife, and even ridiculously enough, that maybe she did need tips from Wynonna about how to please an Earp woman.

 

Waverly was right there though, pressing against her side, speaking as if reading her mind, “This doesn’t mean what you think it means. This is not a complaint, merely a suggestion. It’s just… Before you left you said you had always felt like something was missing and I couldn’t help thinking that this might be part of it, so I made this for you because I wanted you to know what it felt like to be truly be yourself.”

 

Cole groaned as Waverly’s words washed over her, quickly alleviating her anxiety. She knew Waverly was right, and it was oddly comforting how natural the extension felt now that she had gotten used to its weight. She glanced back at the shaft protruding from her hips and smiled sheepishly at the length. The rustling of fabric in her periphery drew Cole’s eyes back to Waverly just in time to see Waverly’s pretty, blue dress hit the floor. Again, Waverly was bare underneath and Cole felt like she might faint as all the blood in her body rushed south, pounding away in her core.

 

She watched almost patiently, as Waverly sauntered back over to her, only clenching and flexing her fists at her sides in eagerness. When Waverly’s hand gripped her addition and pulled, she moaned as the leather base rubbed her in just the right way. “Shit, Wave!” Cole gasped as Waverly released the shaft only to slink down onto her knees again. The hunger in Waverly’s eyes flared as their eyes met again and Cole could barely keep from melting in the heat of her gaze.

 

A tentative hand gripped the base of the member again, drawing another moan from Cole, even as the tip slid past Waverly’s lips. Cole’s hands flew into Waverly’s hair, immediately pulling her back. Trying to affect a stern tone, Cole said, “Y-you don’t have to, Waverly. It’s-it’s not real. I know that.”

 

Waverly’s tongue slipped between her lips to lap luxuriously over the head before she allowed herself to be pulled back further. Cole thought she looked pensive as Waverly studied the length, until she grinned, whispering, “It looks real enough to me, Cole. It looks like it belongs there, you wear it so well.”

 

Cole groaned again as Waverly pulled her forward by her hips, instantly sucking the tip back into her mouth. The stimulation was just enough to start to drive Cole wild, and when her fingers tightened in Waverly’s hair, Waverly sank down on the length most of the way, pushing it deep into the back of her mouth. When Waverly looked up at her then, mouth full and eyes straining, Cole whimpered in shame, so aroused she almost allowed her hips to buck forward, wanting nothing more than to drive all the way down Waverly’s throat.

 

Waverly withdrew her mouth, a pout forming on her face as she ran her hands up and down the backs of Cole’s thighs. “You- you don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to, Cole. I just wanted to give you the option. I’d be perfectly happy having your fingers or your mouth or just you, every day for the rest of my life, but now there’s this too, if- if you want,” Waverly said, rambling slightly as her nerves obviously overtook her.

 

Seeing that frown and hearing Waverly’s uncertainty tipped the scales for Cole. She immediately reached out with her free hand and cupped Waverly’s cheek, her other hand tightening in Waverly’s hair again. The change in Waverly’s demeanor was just as fast as she pressed herself into Cole’s touch, humming as she moved back in, slicking up Cole’s new length once again.

 

Cole only had enough willpower to let Waverly go on for another minute or two though, because now that she had the option, as it were, she desperately wanted to know what it felt like to drive her length deep inside Waverly, to have Waverly buck underneath her, to feel Waverly clench and pull at her like she was never going to let go.

 

Cole growled a little as she pulled Waverly free from her length once again. “Wave, I need you,” she groaned as she pulled Waverly all the way up onto her feet. The second Waverly was close enough Cole captured her lips in a molten hot kiss, instantly walking Waverly back towards the bed. When Waverly’s knees hit the bedside, she grunted against Cole’s lips and Cole halted her advance, but only for a moment. She pulled back, panting as she said, “This is… I just… I can’t wait to be inside you.”

 

It was Waverly’s turn to blush, skin turning bright red as she crawled backwards up the bed. Cole followed closely behind, barely giving Waverly time to get comfortable against the pillows before settling in between her thighs. Waverly gasped under her as Cole leaned over her, the shaft sliding between their bodies. Cole rocked her hips up experimentally, basking in the sound of Waverly moaning her name, pleased with the fiction she created.

 

Cole really wanted to keep her body pressed to Waverly’s, but she knew that she wouldn’t be able to satisfy either one of them in this position. She leaned back onto her knees again, glancing down to get her bearings. What she found was more appealing than she expected. Waverly’s slick had already coated the underside of the shaft and Cole quickly wrapped her hand around the smooth protrusion to spread the wetness all around. She gave it a few firm tugs, enjoying the way it rubbed back against her with each stroke. Somewhere along the way though, she got distracted, staring intently into the space just beyond her length, because that was where the real treasure lied.

 

Waverly’s outer lips unfurled before her eyes, spread open and swollen and glistening. Cole had to fight the urge not to slide down onto her stomach and bury her face in the silky wet heat. That wasn’t what she wanted though; that wasn’t what Waverly wanted either. Cole suddenly remembered Waverly’s words then, ‘Please just take me.’ Waverly had been planning this, for probably two weeks, buying or bartering the materials and then making it herself in her free time, with her own hands, so that Cole could have this, could take Waverly like this. Her whole body shivered, the tremor spreading to Waverly too where their skin was touching. Waverly whined below her, and Cole realized she’d been staring for much longer than she’d meant to, absentmindedly stroking herself, and apparently it was driving Waverly mad.

 

Cole focused on what she was doing then, dragging the tip through Waverly’s slick, tentatively at first, but when Waverly mewled and bucked against her, Cole did it again and again, until Waverly was a whimpering mess of need, hands clutched in the sheets so hard her knuckles were white. “C-cole, I… please… inside…” Waverly panted desperately, words barely audible over the sounds of her breath.

 

Cole brought one hand up and the other down, one cupping her cheek, the other fisting her length as she lined up the tip with Waverly’s entrance. Cole held still, the head just resting against Waverly’s sex for a moment before Waverly took the initiative, her hips rocking down sharply. They both gasped as Waverly’s sex greedily enveloped Cole’s shaft. Waverly’s hands flashed to her body, fingernails digging into her all over again as Cole’s hips twitched forward, physically unable to keep herself from moving.

 

A moment later though, Cole stopped trying, as Waverly’s legs wrapped around her waist, pulling her in deeper. “God, move, please, move, Cole, I neeeed…” Waverly tried, hips rolling frantically as she chased Cole’s body in search of more friction.

 

“Shhh, I’ll give you want you need, baby,” Cole crooned, bringing her hand down to the side of Waverly’s neck for a better grip, as she began to move. Slowly at first, Cole pulled out, cautiously testing her limited range of motion. She only rolled her hips back a few inches before pushing back inside of Waverly, drawing a long string of moans from the Waverly’s throat. As she got more comfortable with the movement, Cole experimented between longer, smoother strokes, and faster, harder strokes, seeking out that perfect speed and pressure that would drive Waverly right over into bliss. It was hard to decide though because Waverly seemed to like it all, so Cole settled in for the longer, smoother strokes, wanting to build her rhythm over time, drag this experience out as long as she could.

 

It only took a few minutes though before Cole had Waverly gasping and panting and moaning, rocking into each of her thrusts with near-wild abandon. Cole wished she could truly feel what it felt like to be inside Waverly, but watching Waverly lose control like this, feeling Waverly come apart around her shaft was more than enough to bring Cole right up to the edge as well. Waverly’s hips bucked up once more and held, and when Cole drove inside again, the change in angle had the base pressing against Cole’s sex just right and with halting breaths and muttered names, they plunged off the cliff together.

 

Both their bodies shuddered as their insides contracted wildly, throbbing in time with each other’s release. Cole sank down on top of Waverly, keeping her hips from withdrawing, simply circling them instead. She desperately wanted to continue their mutual stimulation, but she didn’t want to lose this precious connection, either. Cole wanted to keep herself buried deep, as Waverly pulsed and clenched around her.

 

Several long minutes passed as they both rode out their climaxes in relative silence, only their panting and humming and groaning breaking the moment here and there. Eventually though, Waverly recovered enough of her wits to say, “Cole. You. Are. Magnificent. I- I just knew you’d know exactly what to do. I feel so good right now, and you did that. _You_ , not _it_.”

 

Cole nodded at Waverly’s sweet words and replied, albeit shyly, “T-thanks, Waverly. You g-g-gave me something just now that I could only ever dream of before, and you… you have no idea how much that means to me.”

 

Waverly giggled slightly, and Cole couldn’t help the curious look on her face, a little confused and a little conflicted. Waverly cupped her cheek immediately and said, “I’m fairly certain you were the one giving it to me, but why quibble over the little things, right?”

 

Cole growled as she swooped in to nip at Waverly’s neck. Cole could feel it as her shaft shifted inside Waverly again and the moan that pushed its way past Waverly’s lips was downright obscene. Cole smirked against the skin of Waverly’s neck and said, “Why, indeed?”

 

Cole was disappointed when Waverly pushed back on her shoulders a moment later, but when Waverly kept pushing Cole finally got it, rolling easily over onto her back. Her shaft slipped out of Waverly’s sex in transit, and a groan spilled past both their lips.

 

Waverly recovered first, scooching up over Cole’s hips, lining herself up with Cole’s length again. She looked down into Cole’s eyes as she slowly slid down onto Cole’ shaft, sighing in relief when she took it to the hilt. “Cole,” Waverly whispered, and Cole pulled her eyes away from where their bodies were joined just in time to watch Waverly say, “How’s about I show you how good I can ride, huh?”

 

Cole nearly swallowed her own tongue the first time Waverly’s hips swiveled over her own, and suddenly Cole realized she might not survive this ride.

 

~~~

 

Sometime late in the night, Waverly stirred against Cole’s chest, waking her from a dead sleep. Cole shot upright, thinking something was wrong, but immediately realized there wasn’t. Waverly’s hand found her side and Cole winced a little as Waverly’s nails drug over her already marred skin. Cole had scratch and claw marks all over from the pleasure she had given Waverly earlier, but when Waverly moved sharply to pull her hand away, Cole stopped her though, forcing Waverly’s palm down against her skin. “It’s alright,” Cole whispered gruffly, swallowing before she tried again, “It’s alright, baby, I don’t mind. It’s kind of nice actually.”

 

Waverly pulled her back down into the bed as she whispered, “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

 

Cole chuckled a little as she said, “But you didn’t. These aren’t scratches, they’re marks of love, of passion and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”

 

Waverly buried her face in Cole’s chest at that and suddenly Cole didn’t know what to say, so she just hugged Waverly to her chest. Eventually, Cole felt Waverly smile against her skin and she knew it was that coy grin that Waverly always made when she was planning something. When teeth sank into her shoulder a second later, Cole hissed at the pain, even as a hand moved up to tease one of her nipples.

 

Cole barely noticed when Waverly’s leg swung over her hips. Waverly settled quickly, straddling Cole’s hips again, pressing their bodies together. Cole groaned when Waverly’s slick heat met her skin, as Waverly scooched up, lining herself up for another ride. All Cole could do was grip her hips and hold on for dear life as Waverly sank down on her once again.

 

~~~

 

The morning brought a slow ache, one that started in Cole’s abs and trailed all the way down to her pelvis. She was sure she was absolutely covered in the evidence of Waverly’s pleasure, and Waverly was probably covered in similar marks of her own. Cole couldn’t complain though, as last night, her _wedding_ night, had probably been the best night of her life.

 

She shifted slightly, only to have the sheets catch on the addition still attached to her body. She groaned as the base rubbed against her tender skin. Cole knew there would be some chaffing underneath, and quickly set about removing the straps, trying to not jostle the still sleeping Waverly too much as she went.

 

She didn’t get far though before Waverly’s husky voice called out, “Need any help?”

 

Cole cursed slightly, as her fingers fumbled with one of the buckles, until she finally said, “Yeah, I mean- it’s starting to chaff.”

 

Waverly quickly rolled Cole over onto her back and said, “Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”

 

Cole was amazed at how reverent Waverly was then, slowly moving from buckle to buckle, loosening each one, before pulling the harness down her body. Waverly’s gasp that followed worried Cole, but then Waverly’s lips pressed into the skin covering her hip and Cole couldn’t think any more at all.

 

“Don’t worry, Cole. I’ll kiss it and make it better,” Waverly whispered roughly before dropping her lips to Cole’s skin again.

 

Waverly shifted over her and Cole arched into her mouth as Waverly began sucking a deep bruise into her inner thigh. “I-I-I thought you were gonna make it b-b-b-better,” Cole stammered, trying to think through the pleasure rimmed pain.

 

Waverly lips pulled away from her skin with a loud wet pop and she replied, “Oh I am, love, I am.”

 

When wet heat swathed over Cole’s sex only a second later, she couldn’t not melt into it.

 

~~~

 

Cole tried desperately to catch her breath as Waverly crawled back up her body. “W-wave,” she breathed as Waverly started pressing kisses over every little scratch and mark on her skin, ramping Cole up all over again, but Cole gently pushed her away, not disapprovingly, simply because she wasn’t sure she could take anymore. The light was streaming in through the front window by then and Cole thought maybe they should get up or eat or something, but then Waverly’s slick painted the skin of her thigh and all Cole could think about was setting Waverly’s nerves on fire once again.

 

She rolled them quickly, Waverly gasping as her back met the sheets again. Cole growled huskily as Waverly’s hips raised eagerly to meet her touch, but Cole was the one in control now, and she rapidly grasped onto Waverly’s wrists and trapped them above her head with one hand. She wasn’t trying to be rough, but something about the look in Waverly’s eyes told Cole that Waverly wouldn’t mind if she was a little rough, so she gripped Waverly’s wrists tighter as her other hand slunk down in between them.

 

The glossy heat that met her fingers had her groaning before she even realized it, relishing in the way Waverly whimpered at the contact. “You’re mine now, Waverly Haught, forever,” Cole husked against the shell of Waverly’s ear as she sank slowly inside, three fingers all the way to the knuckle.

 

Waverly mewled beneath her, back arching into the stretch as Cole started to move, pulling out only to push deliberately slowly back inside. Waverly’s hands struggled against her hold and the fight only made Cole growl louder, speeding up her thrusts until Waverly had no choice but to blindly follow her rhythm. When Waverly broke that time, Cole thought she had never seen a sight more beautiful, more majestic, than the long lines of Waverly’s body stretched taut and quivering as she released a flood between them.

 

~~~

 

When they finally emerged from the house, Cole groaned as she took in Wynonna and Doc standing in much the same position as they had been in the day before, Doc showing Wynonna how to improve her draw. Cole groaned heavily as she and Waverly walked past the two of them, hoping her gruff tone would give Wynonna pause before making some outrageous comment, but unfortunately for Cole, Wynonna felt no such shame, barking out a laugh as she said, “Let me guess, from the way Waves is walking, I’d bet she played St. George last night, huh?”

 

Cole wanted to just ignore her, but Waverly stopped, drawing Cole up short as well. When she turned and saw the look on Wynonna’s face she wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk of her face. She knew Wynonna wasn’t actually as brazen as she acted, and quickly decided a little turnabout was fair play. She put on an affected sort of expression and exclaimed, “Oh, that she did, Wynonna! Twice if you’re so interested.” Cole watched as a hot blushed flared across Wynonna’s face, and Cole knew it would only take a little more pushing before Wynonna backed down completely, so she quickly added, “Was it you that taught her how to ride a dragon or is she just a natural?”

 

Cole burst out laughing when Wynonna sputtered, “I- You- Waves?”

 

It wasn’t more than a second before Waverly and Doc were joining Cole in her laughter. Wynonna’s haughty expression only making them all laugh harder. Eventually, their boisterous laughter died down and as Cole took in the group around her, she couldn’t help thinking this is what it must feel like to not have to run anymore, to just be loved and belong.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well folks, this has been a blast, both to write and to publish. I've gotten such a warm response from all of you that at times I was pretty overwhelmed by all the praise. Nothing makes me feel better about what I do than actually hearing what people think about it.
> 
> Anyway, I'll just leave this here...
> 
> If you liked the fic, kudo it. If you really liked it, tell me why in a comment. If you didn't like it, please, please, please tell me why. Trying to make something everybody likes is impossible, but that doesn't mean I don't like to try.
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading!


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